On Saturday, Nov. 1, Bill Moyers will make an unprecedented encore appearance at the Truman Library Institute’s Howard and Virginia Bennett Forum on the Presidency for a revealing discussion on Lyndon Baines Johnson. The legendary journalist and former LBJ advisor has rarely spoken about his close association with Lyndon Baines Johnson – until now. Bill Moyers on LBJ takes place on the 50th anniversary of LBJ’s 1964 presidential campaign, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the launch of Johnson’s 1964 Great Society legislation.

According to Moyers, Bill Moyers on LBJ is his only public speaking engagement in 2014, despite numerous invitations focused on the half-century commemorations taking place nationwide.

“The Truman Library Institute is deeply honored by Bill Moyers’ decision to speak – for the first time – about his experience inside the White House with President Johnson,” said Alex Burden, the Institute’s executive director. “Mr. Moyers’ 2007 appearance on the Bennett Forum resulted in a profound, supercharged and sold-out program on presidential power. Kansas City is fortunate to once again have the opportunity to not only hear from but also dialog with one of the great thinkers of our time.”

Bill Moyers is regarded as one of the most prolific and influential figures in American journalism, but in 1964 he was known as “the young man next to the president,” a moniker given by TIME Magazine to Lyndon Baines Johnson’s special assistant and, later, chief of staff.

Moyers was appointed associate director for the newly created Peace Corps in 1961. When LBJ took office after Kennedy’s assassination, he became a special assistant to Johnson. He played a key role in the Great Society legislative task forces and was a principal architect of LBJ’s 1964 presidential campaign. Moyers acted as the president’s informal chief of staff from 1964 until 1966; from 1965 to 1967, he served as White House press secretary.

This exceptional event will feature a program by Bill Moyers, followed by a conversation with the live audience, moderated by former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey.

Bill Moyers on LBJ will take place at 6 p.m. at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St., Kansas City, Mo. General admission tickets for the event are $18. Member tickets are available for $10.

The Howard & Virginia Bennett Forum on the Presidency was created in 2006 by Michael and Mary Johnston to commemorate Howard Bennett’s role in the founding of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum and to enrich the public’s understanding of our nation’s highest office, the American presidency.
 

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The Truman Library Institute is the nonprofit partner of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, one of 13 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. Together with its public partner, the Truman Library Institute is dedicated to preserving and sharing the legacy of America’s 33rd president through nationally acclaimed educational programs, world-class museum exhibitions, and timely public forums. Together we can contribute to a better tomorrow by helping adults and students alike better understand our democracy, the American presidency, and each person’s power to make a difference.