In August of 1974, Richard Nixon became the first and only president to resign from office. Nevertheless, within a decade of his resignation, Nixon found himself advising on campaign strategy, foreign policy, and U.S.-Soviet summit meetings. He even represented the U.S. at state funerals. Serving informally during the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton Administrations, Nixon became a valued elder statesman.
Kasey S. Pipes, former advisor to President George W. Bush and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, discussed his recent book, After the Fall: The Remarkable Comeback of Richard Nixon. The December 10, 2020 virtual event was hosted by the Hauenstein Center, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, and the Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum. Brooke Clement, Interim Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, introduced Pipes while Gleaves Whitney, Executive Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, moderated the discussion.
On After the Fall, Karl Rove noted, “Pipes shows the former president was far more active in helping shape America’s grand global strategy – and more successful – than previously realized, even as he suffered political exile. The story is a must for anyone wanting to understand Nixon’s life after Watergate.”
About Kasey S. Pipes
Before becoming a public affairs consultant, Kasey S. Pipes spent ten years in politics as a communications and policy adviser. In 2006, he served as chief campaign speechwriter and senior communications adviser to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Prior to that, he served President George W. Bush for five years. From 1999-2000, he wrote speeches and researched policy for the Bush for President Campaign. From 2001-03, he wrote speeches and provided policy research and analysis in the Bush White House. In 2004, he was chief author of the National Republican Party Platform. From 1997-99, he served as communications director and senior legislative assistant to a Member of the Appropriations Committee where he advised on national security, transportation, health care, education and tax policy.
He began his career as an intern in the California office of former President Ronald Reagan in 1995.
Throughout his consulting career he has also provided public affairs work for numerous companies and coalitions, including: Under Armour; IMG Worldwide; The University of Texas at Austin; DFW International Airport; Compete America (a coalition of leading high tech firms); the Task Force on American Innovation (a coalition of research universities and tech companies); Verizon; Justin Boot Company; the Bowl Championship Series; and the Financial Services Forum. In the last few years he has served as chief media spokesman for several statewide and national campaigns.
Kasey is also a recognized historian whose 2007 biography of Dwight Eisenhower, Ike’s Final Battle: The Road to Little Rock and the Challenge of Equality, was released by World Ahead Publishing and became an Amazon.com New Arrival Bestseller. It was praised by The Wall Street Journal as a “highly readable and credible account Eisenhower’s struggle with race and civil rights” and by George F. Will as “mind-opening.” In July 2019, his second book, After the Fall: The Remarkable Comeback of Richard Nixon, was released by Regnery Publishing and Simon & Schuster Digital and quickly reached the Amazon.com New Arrival Bestseller List for Presidential Biography. The book was another critical success with the Chicago Tribune calling Kasey “the lotto winner” for gaining access to Nixon materials that no historian had researched before. He also serves as the Norris Fellow at the Eisenhower Institute of Gettysburg College. His political writings have appeared in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Texas Monthly, Politico, The Dallas Morning News, The San Francisco Chronicle and realclearpolitics.com. He has also appeared as a political commentator numerous times on the Fox News Channel, Bloomberg TV and C-SPAN TV.
A native of Fort Worth, Kasey holds a bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University, as well as a graduate degree from The Johns Hopkins University and another graduate degree from Harvard University where he was named a winner of the Dean’s Prize for Outstanding Thesis. He is also involved in civic and charity leadership and serves as a Member of the Board of Directors and as a Commissioner for University Little League in Fort Worth; as a Chapel leader at Union Gospel Mission; as a Member of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Advanced Governmental Studies Alumni Advisory Board; and as a Member of the Board for LivingStone University in Uganda. He previously served on the Board of Visitors at the AddRan College of Liberal Arts at Texas Christian University; the USS Fort Worth Commissioning Committee; and the Armed Forces Bowl Host Committee. From 2002-2010 he also served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy Reserve.
Kasey now lives in his hometown with his wife, Lacie, and their three children, Lincoln, Crosby and Betsy Joy.
