University Life

Part 2 of 3 Parts

He speaks openly about the challenges of President Graham's job and about his impressions of Billy Carmichael, who worked in UNC administration. Friday then discusses President Graham's appointment in Washington, D.C. and Graham's eventual brutal Senate race against Willis Smith. During the race, Friday, who was still assisting the new president of the university, tried to keep the university out of the mudslinging that occurred between Smith and Graham.

University & Beyond

Part 3 of 3 Parts

In the conclusion to Biographical Conversations, William Friday begins by reminiscing about his retirement from the presidency of the university. He then discusses the several opportunities he had to run for public office--and why he ultimately decided not to pursue them.

Part 1 of 3 Parts

Part 1 of 3 Parts

Part 1 of 3 Parts

Part 1: Early Life and Reporting

Part 1 of 3 Parts

Jesse Helms, Jr., was born and raised in the small, quiet town of Monroe, North Carolina.

The U.S. Senate

Part 2 of 3 Parts

Helms was a registered Democrat until he took his daughter to register to vote and noticed her registering Republican. He switched to the Republican Party, and he later ran for Senate on a Republican platform. Because North Carolina had never elected a Republican senator, Helms was certain he would lose the Senate race; in fact, A.J. Fletcher agreed to give him his job back after he took a leave of absence to campaign. However, he won the race—the same year that President Nixon won reelection.

Personal and Political Views

Part 3 of 3 Parts

Senator Helms admits that he has often disagreed with the State Department’s policies and is openly critical of their membership. He also criticizes foreign aid, which he states does not typically go to the people of a country, but to the leadership. He also expresses his views on the end of Apartheid in South Africa and his support of military governments in South Africa.

Early Years and Ambitions

Part 1 of 3 Parts

Host Robin Minietta hosts the first of this series of Biographical Conversations. In the first episode, Senator Terry Sanford shares his early years as a boy and college student, leading up to his eventual political ambitions.

Governorship of North Carolina

Part 2 of 3 Parts

Part two begins with Sanford’s association with John F. Kennedy. According to Sanford, supporting Kennedy publicly was one of the most risky things that he did politically, primarily because North Carolina was not ready for some of Kennedy’s ideas.