the people and events that tell the american story. at 2:00 p.m. eastern on the presidency, historian allen gelzo and other scholars examine a fundamental question about whether the united states needs a president. and then at 8:00 p.m. eastern on lectures and history, southern utah university professor talks about confederate guerilla attacks on u.s. waterways in the civil war and describes pro confederate sympathizer who sabotage union vessels. watch saturdays on cspan2. and online at cspan.org/history. our weekly series "the presidency" highlights the politics, highlights and legacies of u.s. president's first ladies. next our look at white house weddings. president richard nixon's

daughter tricia married. ♪ ♪ ♪♪ >> one of the most important days in tricia nixon's life was drawing to a close. the wedding was over, but a new life and career at mrs. edward

finch cox was just commencing. at a press conference tricia once said. >> the most important thing is love. but -- you can't really define it. you can say i love this about a person. i -- just can't quite define. dek on the night of march 16. the father of the bride >> the events leading up to this memorable day all started back on the night of march 16th. the father of the bride to be announced his daughter's engagement. the occasion was irish evening at the white house, a celebration in honor of the visit to washington of john lynch, prime minister of ireland, and mrs. nixon's birthday. >> i understand that i'm supposed to make a surprise

announcement. the difficulty is that every time i'm supposed to make a surprise announcement i find that some way it is leaked before i get to make it. and this seems to be no exception. under the circumstances, of course, i was wondering whether making an announcement to this very distinguished group of our very close friends from all over the united states, making such an announcement would seem to be rather anti-climax for this wonderful evening. but i discussed wit the prime minister and he's given his permissionit with the prime minister and he's given his permission and he's one who's had such great success that i am going to take his advice. he says even though the information may have leaked out, that until i say it, it is not

official. and so tonight, mrs. nixon and i are very honored to announce the engagement of our daughter tricia to mr. edward cox of new york. [ applause ] >> just so happy that it has been made official and we can share our happiness with everybody. i think an engagement is supposed to be sort of a fun time, especially the engagement party. it is tradition. ♪♪ >> the announcement signalled the start of an exciting round of showers and receptions by friends and family. the first official event was a

miscellaneous shower hosted by the vice president's wife mrs. agnew at their residence in the sheraton park hotel on june 1st. beside mrs. nixon and tricia, special guests included julie eisenhower, maymy eisenhower, mrs. cox and ed's sister mary ann. among her many gift, tricia received her china, the blue tree pattern by lennox. her silver, eloquence by luntd of greenfield, massachusetts. and her crystal, a waterford cut glass pattern.

an inform shower was held may 26th. the first white house bride to be to have a shower given in her honor by the washington women's press corps. helen tomas, was hostess. other guests included members of mrs. nixon's staff and women reportersich one of tricia's gifts from a lady of the press appeared to be an expression of sympathy for trish and ed's desire for anonymity. to the amusement of all, tricia donned her disguise. on friday evening, june 4th, at washington's beautiful anderson house, mrs. william p. rodgers, wife of the secretary of state,

hosted a reception for the diplomatic corps in honor of tricia and ed. dean of the diplomatic corps led the way through the receiving line. the secretary of state was unable to be there, as he was attending meetings in portugal and france. tricia graciously accepted the gift from ambassador sucasa. in his remarks to this international group of guests, the president expressed this wish for his daughter and her future husband. >> i would like to leave one thought with you on this occasion, which is my wish for the bride and groom after the wedding ceremony. first, the chance to loif their own lives. but second, more than anything else, the chance to know the world as i've had a chance to know it. and i look forward to a time when this will truly be an open world, where they will have the chance to go to your countries and to all the countries of the world and know the people of those countries.

because what a wonderful future it is for your children and our children to know each other. skap. >> while tricia entertained as a white house dinner on june 10th for the members of her wedding party and the wives of the groomsmen, ed was hosting a belichick party at the f. street club. tricia chose as members of her wedding party her sister julie as matron of honor. ed's sister maryanne at maid of honor. and as junior brooids maids her cousins beth and amy nixon. ed chose his brother howard as best man and college friends as groomsmen. ensign david eisenhower was unable to be in the wedding since he was on duty aboard the u.s.s. albany in the mid e trainen. ed's got parents, mr. and mrs.

mckeon were hosts at a luncheon for tricia and ed and out of town guests on june 11th at washington's salisbury club. the time slipped quickly away. in the rose garden, which trish has chosen as the setting for her marriage, the members of the wedding party rehearsed their roles. >> one of the most importt things for people is the fact that except one another, , even though they are very differe >> one of the most important things to people is the fact that they accept one another. even though they are very different. they accept the differences in the person. i guess you might say they should complement one another. they should each be interested in different things.

i don't think that necessarily people have to be alike to be able to be married and to have a happy marriage. eddie was my first love. we met, i'll never forget that. we were dancing together and the only way i really remember daddy is i was dancing with someone who was so tall that i was being smothered. i think that eddie is more intelligent than i am. i always find being with him very challenging. i think one of things i always respect of eddie was his sincerity. he just is a completely sincere person. >> that evening, ed's father and

mother were hosts at the traditional rehearsal dinner at blair house. the 40 guests attending the black-tie affair included, beside members of the wedding party, mamie eisenhower, wives of the four groomsmen, bebe robozo, and other members of the wedding reception. members exchanged traditional gifts. millions of people throughout the world waited in anticipation as the white house prepared to celebrate the wedding. historians took note that trisha was the eighth daughter of a president to be married in the white house, that hers was the first june wedding held there, and the first marriage ceremony

to be performed out of doors at the executive mansion. ♪♪ the father of the pride-to-be unexpectedly visited the press center and expressed a poetic view to reporters about the possibility of rain when he explained that a soft rain caresses the marriage. and then in a more lighthearted vein he said -- >> a little rain will keep people cooler and they'll remember it more. >> in spite of threatening skies, trisha decided to go forward with her plans for the

out-of-doors ceremony. the preparations shifted into high gear. a light rain continued to fall but the guests were as eager as tricia to have the ceremony take place in the rose garden. the 400 guests invited to the wedding included members of the cabinet, the ambassador representing the diplomatic corps, former white house brides including alice longworth, lucy nugent and linda johnson robb.

young friends of tricia and ed and relatives and friends of the family. ♪♪ ♪♪

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♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> at 4:30, after a half hour delay, the rain stopped and the loveliest of all white house weddings began.

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♪♪ ♪♪ >> dear friends, we are gathered together to unite patricia and edward in marriage, which is an institution founded in nature, ordained by the state, sanctioned by the church, and made honorable by the faithful keeping of good men and good women in all ages. it is therefore not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or

lightly but discrediscreetly, advisedly, and with due reverence. this celebration is the outward expression of a sacred and inward union of hearts, a union created by loving purpose and kept by abiding will. the union into which you are about to enter is most precious because it will bring you together in a relationship so intimate and so close that it will inevitably and profoundly influence your entire future. that future, with its dreams and disappointments, its pleasures and sadnesses, its successes and failures, cannot be foreseen. of course these elements are found in every life, and

therefore are to be anticipated in your own. and so, unaware of what definitely is before you, you accept one another. to love is to appreciate and cherish our beloved as a unique person, deep, extraordinary, exceptional. it is to visualize him or her as an equal yet complementing individual. love each other but do not make a bond of your love. stand together but not too near together, just as the pillars of a temple stand apart yet stand together. thus these thoughts are most awesome. it is a beautiful tribute to

your love of each other that cognizant of their importance, you are here to say them as vows each to the other. because these words involve such implications, it is appropriate that your life together exemplified the principle of altruism. love gives and forgives, accepts and adjusts. sacrifice is frequently offered grudgingly. love can make it generous and often. love can make it a joy. ideally, married life ought to be a life of self-sacrificing love, of great and unreserved giving of self. is it in this spirit and for

this purpose that you have come hither to be joined together? who giveth patricia to be married to edward? clasp your right hands together, and edward, repeat after me. i, edward, take thee, patricia, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, to honor and to comfort, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to

love and to cherish, from this day forth. patricia, you repeat after me, looking at edward. i, patricia, take thee, edward, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, to honor and to comfort, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to love and to cherish, from this day forth. may i have the ring? the wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to all the uniting of patricia

and edward in holy matrimony. let us pray. bless, oh, lord, this ring, that he who gives it and she who wears it may know thy peace and continue in thy favor all the days of their lives, amen. edward, place this ring on the third finger of patricia's left hand and repeat after me. in symbol and pledge of our constant faith and love, with this ring i thee wed. let us pray. our father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name. thy kingdom come, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. amen. clasp your right hands together. for as much as edward and patricia have consented together in holy wedlock and have witnessed the same before god and this company, and thereto have pledged their faith each to the other, and have declared the same by joining hands and by

giving a ring, i pronounce that they are husband and wife together. let us pray. eternal god, creator and preserver of all mankind, giver of all spiritual grace, send thy blessing upon patricia and edward that they may surely perform and keep the covenant made between them. may their hearts be one in pure love and fidelity. may they be a blessing and a comfort to each other and to everyone else they touch. may they be sharers of each other's joy, consolers of each other's sorrow, helpers to each other in all.

and may they ever remain in perfect harmony together, living according to the golden rule. look beneficently upon them that they may love, honor, and cherish one another and so live one another in faithfulness and in patience, in wisdom and true kindness, that their home may be a haven of happiness and a place of serenity. this moment is the beginning of a new day. in the evening of their lives together, may they be able to look back and say how splendid the day has been. amen. will you kneel.

may the lord bless you and keep you. may the lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. may the lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace. and may all that is noble, lovely, and true abide with you forever. amen. ♪♪

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♪♪ ♪♪ >> not only for tricia and ed but for posterity, the wedding party assembled in the blue room for the official portrait. ♪♪

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well-wishers began with mamie eisenhower, the vice president and mrs. agnew, and chief justice and mrs. berger. ♪♪ [ applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪

>> he's a really splendid dancer. the most fun is to dance a waltz with eddie because he just does it so beautifully. it's very rare today, to find anyone who even knows how to do the waltz. ♪♪ [ applause ] >> i've been trying to figure out how to get out of that dance. no way, i'm going to limit my exposure, though. [ applause ] ♪♪

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♪♪ >> the six-tiered wedding cake, an exquisite creation nearly seven feet high, awaited the bridal couple in the north portico hall. patricia and ed expressed delight with the cake. referring to her abilities in the kitchen, tricia has said -- >> i'm not a good cook, but i try. one of edward's favorites is chocolate chip cookies. i'm specializing in chocolate chip cookies.

[ applause ] >> a final but brief ceremony remained to be performed. the new mrs. cox, on the arm of her husband, tossed her wedding bouquet as thousands of brides have done before her. mary ann, ed's sister, caught the bouquet. ♪♪ ♪♪ >> with a new and very different life ahead of them, tricia and ed cox left the white house for a honeymoon at a secret location.

>> the thing i'll miss most is my parents because we are very close and i really look forward to being able to talk to them, visit with them, be with them. that's probably what i'll miss most. ♪♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ ♪♪ how exactly did america get up to its neck in debt? >> we believe one of the greatest characteristics of being american is we are striving to provide equal opportunity for all. >> c-span's video documentary competition 2022. students around the country give us behind the scenes looks as they work on their entry. if you're a middle or high school student, join the conversation by entering the

c-span student camp competition. create a five to six-minute documentary using c-span video clips. then answer the question, how does the federal government impact your life. >> be passionate what you're discussing to express your view no matter how large or small you think the audience will receive it to be. and know that in the history of the earth, your view does matter. >> to all the filmmakers out there, remember that content is king. and just remember to be as neutral and impartial as possible in your portrayal of both sides of an issue. >> c-span awards $100,000 in total cash prizes. and you have a shot at winning the grand prize of $5,000. entries must be received before january 20th, 2022. for competition rules, tutorials, or just how to get started, visit our website at studentcam.org.

american history tv. saturdays on c-span2. exploring the people and events that tell the american story. at 2:00 p.m. on "the presidency," the fundamental question about whether the united states needs a president. and then at 8:00 p.m. eastern on "lectures in history," professor laura june davis talks about confederate attacks on the waterways in the civil war and describes pro-confederate sympathizers who sabotaged union vessels. watch american history tv, saturdays on c-span2 and find a full schedule on your program guide or watch any time at c-span.org/history. our weekly series of "the presidency" highlights the politics, policies, and legacies of u.s. presidents and first ladies. up next, forme