Interview with Frank Moore, June 10, 2015

Partial Transcript: Well, thank you Bob. I'm honored and flattered to be associated with those great Georgians you just mentioned in your introduction.

Segment Synopsis: Moore discusses his early life and growing up in Dahlonega, Georgia. He says that he went to North Georgia College for a year and then transferred to the University of Georgia. He discusses moving to Atlanta to work in the Governor Jimmy Carter's office. He became the assistant to Hamilton Jordan, Carter's Executive Secretary. When Hamilton Jordan left to work in Washington, D.C, Moore was promoted to Executive Secretary. Moore also discusses Carter's reorganization of the state government.

Keywords: 1966; Captain Crunch; David Gambrell; Gainesville, Georgia; Joe Frank Harris; Max Cleveland; Quaker Oats; mental health; mountains planning and development committee; national finance chairman; planning and development commission

Partial Transcript: By the election time in 1976, Governor Carter already had formed his nucleus for a campaign to run for the presidency. When did you learn of his plans to run for president?

Segment Synopsis: Moore discusses Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign in 1976. Moore was the deputy campaign manager to Hamilton Jordan. Moore discusses the tactics that they used to win key states in the primary including Iowa and New Hampshire. More also talks about how he moved to Washington D.C before the presidential nominating convention.

Keywords: Dolph Briscoe; George Wallace; Gerald Ford; Jerry Rafshoon; Jody Powell; Phil Wise; Ronald Reagan; campaign finance law

Partial Transcript: Well, now he's president and he's got the inauguration coming up.

Segment Synopsis: Moore talks about Carter's walk from the Capitol Building to the White House after his inauguration ceremony. Moore was in charge of helping the Secret Service identify Carter's supporters during the walk. Moore discusses Carter's selection of his cabinet members, and recalls that Carter interviewed potential cabinet members personally. Moore also talks about the rest of Carter's staff including Hamilton Jordan and Phil Wise.

Keywords: Charles Kirbo; Cyrus Vance; George Busbee; Griffin Bell; Howard Becker; Jack Brooks; Jim McIntyre; Plains, Georgia; Robert Byrd; Stuart Eizenstat; Tip O' Neill; Watergate Babies; Zbigniew Brezezinski; foreign relations; governor's mansion

Partial Transcript: How often did the president, besides your daily meetings, get involved with your work with the congress?

Segment Synopsis: Moore discusses his job as President Carter's head congressional liaison. He says that Carter was always very involved with his work with Congress, and addresses the reputation that Carter and his staff had a strained relationship with Congress. Moore also talks about Carter's approach to working with congressional lobbyists, which consisted of helping to choose the top lobbyists from each agency and meeting with them once a week.

Keywords: Bob Strauss; Ed Jenkins; Gerald Ford; Japan; Jim Wright; Joe Wagner; Lyndon Johnson; Richard Nixon; Sam Nunn; Walter Mondale; energy; hospital cost containment; mushrooms; trade bill; whips

Partial Transcript: Let's talk about some of President Carter's successes in Congress.

Segment Synopsis: Moore discusses President Carter's successes during his administration including passing the energy bill, negotiating the Panama Canal treaty and Camp David Accords, improving relations with Russia, and opening up relations with China. Moore was very involved in choosing who went on the four to five yearly trips to China that the administration took.

Keywords: Afghanistan; Cyrus Vance; Department of Education; Elliott Levitas; George Miller; Henry Kissinger; Jim Schlesinger; Roosevelt Island; Scoop Jackson; Walter Mondale; coal; nuclear war

Partial Transcript: The hostage situation had a negative impact on the president's chances for reelection don't you think?

Segment Synopsis: Moore talks about the things that hurt Carter's chances for winning reelection in 1980: inflation, the Iran hostage crisis, Teddy Kennedy running against a member of his own party, and challenger John Anderson. John Anderson ran as an independent candidate and split the vote away from Carter. Moore evaluates the Iran hostage crisis as the biggest factor in Carter losing the reelection.

Keywords: bombs; campaigning; news; television

Partial Transcript: Well in your interview with the Miller Library at the University of Virginia, back in the early 80's, you said you were not ready at that time to pass judgement on the Carter administration. It's now 35 years later, what is your judgement of the Carter administration?

Segment Synopsis: Moore reflects on the Carter administration as a whole, and says that they accomplished a lot of things and sent the country on the right track. Moore says that his proudest moments were Panama Canal neutrality (Torrijos-Carter Treaties) and the Camp David Accords. He says that his greatest disappointment was failing to pass hospital cost containment legislation.

Keywords: Teddy Kennedy; bucket list; consumer protection; democracy