It was a chilly, overcast morning on Jan. 20, 1981, in Washington D.C. as President Ronald Reagan stood with Nancy by his side, his left hand on a Bible and his right raised as he repeated the Oath of Office led by Chief Justice Warren Earl Burger. For the first time in U.S. history, the inauguration was on the western steps of the U.S. Capitol. A large crowd stretched before him. 

Beyond was a view of the National Mall flanked by museums and memorials leading to the Washington Monument, the Reflecting Pool, the Lincoln Memorial, the Potomac River and the whole of the United States to the west. Reagan turned to the podium and took in the commanding view as he patiently waited for the thunderous applause to quiet. 

“To a few of us here today, this is a solemn and most momentous occasion, and yet in the history of our nation, it is a commonplace occurrence. The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this every-four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.”

On the president’s platform, Ken Khachigian and his wife Meredith watched the clouds give way to rays of light and warmth as words he shaped and Reagan molded were heard around the globe. The historical moment was not lost on Khachigian.

“He was a long way from Dixon, and I was a long way from Visalia,” Khachigian said in his recent book “Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan and Nixon” (Post Hill Press, 2024). 

Fresno State presents “An Evening with Ken Khachigian” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Satellite Student Union. Parking is free in lots P6 or P15 using parking code #266607. At the free event, Khachigian will discuss his new book “Behind Closed Doors” in a question-and-answer session with Jim Boren of Fresno State’s Institute for Media and Public Trust. Admission is free. Registration is recommended but not required. Copies of “Behind Closed Doors” can be signed after the program when reserving a seat.

“It’s not often that we can bring someone to campus with Mr. Khachigian’s political expertise on issues when he was in the room hearing it directly from the mouths of presidents,” Boren said. “We’re likely to hear insights that have never been shared before. This discussion will provide valuable information and perspective to the public about the upcoming presidential election and offer insight that will benefit our community.”

A Central Valley native, Khachigian was Reagan’s chief speechwriter, trusted political adviser and “go-to” counsel for the president and first lady in campaigns and political crises. As chief speechwriter, Khachigian shaped many of Reagan’s most prominent addresses beginning with the first inaugural. In 1985, when the president was confronted with his first personal crisis, Khachigian wrote what has been called the “greatest speech of Reagan’s career” at Bergen Belsen.

Khachigian also served in President Richard Nixon’s White House and as a principal aide to Nixon as the former president emerged from Watergate. During Nixon’s comeback, he assisted with his memoirs and led the preparation for the historic interviews with David Frost.

“An Evening with Ken Khachigian” is sponsored by Valley Children’s Hospital, the Office of the President, The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute, the Armenian Studies Program and the Institute for Media and Public Trust at Fresno State.