Living History: Meeting Ronald Reagan
Inside the Oval Office: the first installment from a series of interviews with Colonel Athens
Colonel Athens is the former Director of the U.S. Naval Academy’s James B. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. He is a retired Marine, having served in significant command and staff positions in all four Marine Aircraft Wings, as a Space Operations Officer with the U.S. Space Command and as an instructor at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron-1. Additionally, he was a White House Fellow under President Ronald Reagan and the Special Assistant to the NASA Administrator following the Space Shuttle Challenger accident.
An introduction: (From the WHFP Website)
“The White House Fellowship program, established in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, is one of the most prestigious public service fellowships in the United States. It selects a small, highly competitive group of individuals from diverse professional backgrounds to work alongside senior White House staff, Cabinet secretaries, and other top-ranking officials for a year. Fellows engage in significant responsibilities, receive mentorship from leaders across government, and participate in educational seminars that provide insight into leadership and policy-making. Alumni often go on to prominent roles in government, business, and nonprofit sectors, marking the fellowship as a springboard for future leaders.”
The interview with Colonel Athens
“I was the Fourth Marine Corps White House Fellow since the program started in 1964. I was there in 1987 and 1988. It was fairly unique for Marines to be there, and there hadn't been a marine White House fellow for a long period of time. When I said I was going to try to apply for it, I was actually encouraged by a couple of people, that's how I even knew about the program. And I decided, okay, well, I'm going to give it a shot. I'm going to put in my application. And then when I talked to the Marine Corps at headquarters, saying, “hey, I'm applying for this program. Is there anything I need to do with you all?” They said, “we don't even know what you're talking about. Sure, go ahead and apply.” And then I was fortunate enough to get selected.
Then the interaction with the President - you know, you got to meet with him on a number of occasions. I got to know him somewhat. Reagan was an interesting man, and he was a great communicator. I learned some things about communication from watching him.. It was one of those life changing experiences. I got a unique tour, though, coming out of the White House Fellowship program on the Marine Corps side.
We'd meet with prominent Washington DC folks, whether it was the press, or government officials, or businessmen. I learned so much.. You travel a lot as well. In our case, we went to what was then the Soviet Union, England, and some trips within the United States.. It was a very broadening experience for me to see how the higher levels of government worked.”
What was it like to meet Reagan? What were your first impressions?
“The first time I had the opportunity to go into the Oval Office and meet Reagen, it was going to be one on one. There was a group of White House staff outside the Oval Office, and they said “you need to rehearse your name, because when you go in there, people often forget.” It doesn't matter what you think of that president, politically speaking. He's the President of the United States, and definitely don’t mess up when you’re introducing yourself.” So I was thinking about that as I walked in. It was amazing to be in the Oval Office with the president. Again, regardless of political feelings. I can tell you he was very warm and engaging. You know, there were sometimes jokes about him falling asleep in cabinet meetings and things like that, but there was certainly no evidence of that. Getting a chance to just listen to what he had to say about how he was handling different things was amazing. It was fascinating, and I didn't forget my name.”