Rose Mary Woods (December 26, 1917 – January 22, 2005) was Richard Nixon's secretary from his days in Congress in 1951 through the end of his political career. Before H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman became the operators of Nixon's presidential campaign, Woods was Nixon's gatekeeper.[1]
Rose Mary Woods was born in northeastern Ohio in the small pottery town of Sebring on December 26, 1917.[2] Her brother was Joseph I. Woods, a sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, and longtime member of the Cook County Board.[3]
Following graduation from McKinley High School, Woods worked for Royal China, Inc., the city's largest employer. She had been engaged to marry, but her fiancé died during World War II. To escape the memories of her hometown, she moved to Washington, D.C. in 1943, working in a variety of federal offices until she met Nixon while she was a secretary to the House Select Committee on Foreign Aid. Impressed by his neatness and efficiency, she accepted his job offer in 1951.[4]
Woods developed a very close relationship with the Nixon family, especially with First LadyPat Nixon. She accompanied Vice President Nixon on his 1958 goodwill tour of South America but was injured by flying glass in the attack on Nixon's motorcade.[5]
Secretary to the President of the United Statesedit
Woods was President Nixon's personal secretary, the same position that she held from the time that he hired her until the end of his lengthy political career.
Fiercely loyal to Nixon, Woods claimed responsibility in a 1974 grand jury testimony for inadvertently erasing up to five minutes of the 18 1⁄2 minute gap on a June 20, 1972, audio tape. Her demonstration of how this might have occurred, in which she stretched to simultaneously press controls several feet apart (what the press dubbed the "Rose Mary Stretch"[6]), was met with skepticism from those who believed the erasures to be deliberate.
Woods demonstrates the "Rose Mary Stretch", which purportedly led to the erasure of 18-plus minutes of the Watergate tapes.
An expert analysis of the tapes conducted in January 1974 revealed that there were four or five separate erasures, and perhaps as many as nine.[7][8] The contents of the gaps remain unknown.[9]
Accompanying Nixon to San Clemente following his resignation, she later returned to Washington and worked as a secretary to a Republican member of Congress.
Deathedit
External videos
Rose Mary Woods, Devoted Nixon Secretary, Dies, 2:20, January 24, 2005, NPR[10]
^Kopel, David (2014-06-14), "The missing 18 1/2 minutes: Presidential destruction of incriminating evidence", The Washington Post, retrieved 2022-03-29
^Clymer, Adam (May 9, 2003). . The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2007.
^Shenon, Philip (2005-01-24), "Rose Mary Woods, 87, Nixon Loyalist for Decades, Dies", The New York Times, retrieved 2008-10-08
^"Rose Mary Woods, Devoted Nixon Secretary, Dies". NPR. January 24, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
February 16, 2024
rose, mary, woods, december, 1917, january, 2005, richard, nixon, secretary, from, days, congress, 1951, through, political, career, before, haldeman, john, ehrlichman, became, operators, nixon, presidential, campaign, woods, nixon, gatekeeper, woods, 1970sper. Rose Mary Woods December 26 1917 January 22 2005 was Richard Nixon s secretary from his days in Congress in 1951 through the end of his political career Before H R Haldeman and John Ehrlichman became the operators of Nixon s presidential campaign Woods was Nixon s gatekeeper 1 Rose Mary WoodsWoods 1970sPersonal Secretary to the PresidentIn office January 20 1969 August 9 1974PresidentRichard NixonPreceded byGerri WhittingtonSucceeded byDorothy E DowntonPersonal detailsBorn 1917 12 26 December 26 1917Sebring Ohio U S DiedJanuary 22 2005 2005 01 22 aged 87 Alliance Ohio U S Political partyRepublican Contents 1 Early life and connection to Nixon 2 Secretary to the President of the United States 3 Death 4 See also 5 ReferencesEarly life and connection to Nixon editRose Mary Woods was born in northeastern Ohio in the small pottery town of Sebring on December 26 1917 2 Her brother was Joseph I Woods a sheriff of Cook County Illinois and longtime member of the Cook County Board 3 Following graduation from McKinley High School Woods worked for Royal China Inc the city s largest employer She had been engaged to marry but her fiance died during World War II To escape the memories of her hometown she moved to Washington D C in 1943 working in a variety of federal offices until she met Nixon while she was a secretary to the House Select Committee on Foreign Aid Impressed by his neatness and efficiency she accepted his job offer in 1951 4 Woods developed a very close relationship with the Nixon family especially with First Lady Pat Nixon She accompanied Vice President Nixon on his 1958 goodwill tour of South America but was injured by flying glass in the attack on Nixon s motorcade 5 Secretary to the President of the United States editWoods was President Nixon s personal secretary the same position that she held from the time that he hired her until the end of his lengthy political career Fiercely loyal to Nixon Woods claimed responsibility in a 1974 grand jury testimony for inadvertently erasing up to five minutes of the 18 1 2 minute gap on a June 20 1972 audio tape Her demonstration of how this might have occurred in which she stretched to simultaneously press controls several feet apart what the press dubbed the Rose Mary Stretch 6 was met with skepticism from those who believed the erasures to be deliberate nbsp Woods demonstrates the Rose Mary Stretch which purportedly led to the erasure of 18 plus minutes of the Watergate tapes An expert analysis of the tapes conducted in January 1974 revealed that there were four or five separate erasures and perhaps as many as nine 7 8 The contents of the gaps remain unknown 9 Accompanying Nixon to San Clemente following his resignation she later returned to Washington and worked as a secretary to a Republican member of Congress Death editExternal videos nbsp Rose Mary Woods Devoted Nixon Secretary Dies 2 20 January 24 2005 NPR 10 Woods died on January 22 2005 at McCrea Manor a nursing home in Alliance Ohio near her hometown 4 A memorial service was held at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda California She had remained unmarried and had no children See also editManolo Sanchez Nixon staff member References edit Wilkinson Francis 2005 12 25 Nixon s Real Enforcer The New York Times retrieved 2008 10 08 Rose Mary Woods Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum retrieved 2012 04 26 Mount Charles July 12 1988 Woods To Leave County Board Chicago Tribune Retrieved November 11 2016 a b Sullivan Patricia 2005 01 24 Rose Mary Woods Dies Loyal Nixon Secretary The Washington Post retrieved 2008 10 08 Aitken Jonathan 2015 Nixon A Life Regnery Publishing pp 296 297 ISBN 978 1621574422 The Watergate Files Battle for the Tapes July 1973 November 1973 Gerald R Ford Presidential Library Kopel David 2014 06 14 The missing 18 1 2 minutes Presidential destruction of incriminating evidence The Washington Post retrieved 2022 03 29 Clymer Adam May 9 2003 National Archives Has Given Up on Filling the Nixon Tape Gap The New York Times Archived from the original on May 27 2015 Retrieved January 17 2007 Shenon Philip 2005 01 24 Rose Mary Woods 87 Nixon Loyalist for Decades Dies The New York Times retrieved 2008 10 08 Rose Mary Woods Devoted Nixon Secretary Dies NPR January 24 2005 Retrieved November 11 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rose Mary Woods amp oldid 1196301659, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
