Picking the Bones of Eleven Presidents and Others

Book excerpt: "It was my luck to learn from Jerry Moriarity what integrity in journalism is all about." Lloyd Schermer, former president of Lee Enterprises "Should you be travelling to this area in October or November, I would enjoy a visit."-Ex-President Richard Nixon Jerry Moriarity lived in the glorious era of newspapering and had a love affair with newspapers and the printed word. After more than forty interviews and photo opportunities with the last eleven presidents, Moriarity began to imagine the ideal U.S. President. These topics created his study of the presidents, his hobby for the last fifty years. "All Things Considered" on National Public Radio interviewed Moriarity five times on because of a Nixon editorial he wrote. This book is not solely about presidents, but includes other interviews he has had during the years. He has interviewed and photographed many important people such as Senator Barry Goldwater, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, John Glenn, Haile Selassie, Meredith Willson, Edward Ellis, Cornel Wilde, Errol Flynn, Walter Mondale, etc. He has added a few human-interest stories such as when U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy removed a cigar from Moriarity's mouth and dunked it in his coffee.