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MOUNT MADONNA SCHOOL
Interview with
Ann McCoy
Director of Personal
Correspondence for the President
May 22, 2000
Mr. Mailliard: I want to introduce you to
a very special person. In fact one of my favorite
people in Washington. You are the third group of students
I have brought to her. To me Ann epitomizes graciousness
and service. She is extremely busy but I could not
have you come to the White House and not meet her.
Ann McCoy: You have a very persuasive leader, but
a wonderful person. With all of those accolades, how
could I not come? And I do appreciate all of it. But
I just really want to say how fortunate that you all
are, and the students who have come before you, to
have Ward. He is…he works so hard for you. He wants
the very best for you.
And of course he's been fortunate to see
the results of the young people who have gone through
the program and the things that they've done. But that
goes right along with being a teacher, a parent, or
whatever area that you are in, you want the best to
happen for those that surround you and follow you.
I got started with the Clintons in, actually in 1983
our daughter graduated from the University of Arkansas
at Fayetteville with a degree in elementary education.
And she was asked to be nanny to Chelsea Clinton. So
our daughter Becky took care of Chelsea for two years
- this is when she was two to four, precious age - we
actually, my husband and I did not know the Clintons
during that time but we met them and then in 1985, they
asked me if I would be the administrator of the Arkansas
Governor's mansion in Little Rock, where I lived.
So I took that job. We had a very small staff but it
pretty much incorporated running the house, handling
all the social affairs, a lot of correspondence for
the First Lady and ttaking care of the grounds…we had
five inmates from the prison unit, the local prison
unit, that worked on the grounds and in the house. It
was the first time I ever had experience with them,
but they were great; they were Class A. Truly my
experiences there for eight years were phenomenal. I
worked very hard, long hours, and I feel like I got
to know President and Mrs. Clinton, of course it was
Governor and Mrs. Clinton at the time. They had a work
ethic that is unbelievable. Number one, they have a
great deal of energy, and they are dedicated. They
both grew up wanting to make things better for people.
They worked in their churches and their communities
with young people and so forth. So they had a progression
in their lifetimes of wanting to help. If you read the
paper daily, you realize that there is so much that
needs to be done, certainly in our own country, and
throughout the world. I'm saying this becasue I
want you to understand why I thoroughly love and enjoy
working hard for them. And I'm not by myself. They have
a huge staff that works very hard that are truly dedicated.
So, we went eight years in Little Rock as Governor.
And then Governor Clinton decided to run for the Presidency.
Well, truly, I told people, if he runs, all
he has to do is go out there and greet people and
he'll win. Well it really wasn't quite that
simple, but he did win.
We came to Washington and one of the first
people that I met was Gary Walters. After having just
heard from Gary, can just imagine how comforting that
was to us. We were coming from Little Rock, Arkansas
to the White House. I had been there one time with a
little church group, I brought my Sunday School class
years before. He was so gracious, showed us through
the house. Now that same day, we met Mrs. Bush. The
First Lady was here, on a tour with Mrs. Bush. Mrs.
Bush and the new First Lady Hillary Clinton took us
through the house. I was primarily deciding where to
put the furniture. Where to put their clothing. And
I organized the move to come up here and move them in.
We literally just got things in, they dressed for the
ball that night, they next morning we rushed back. We
had four events the next day. People coming and going,
and it was unbelievable and we haven't slowed down since.
The first job I had at the White House was Deputy
Social Secretary. Therefore, I worked with all of the
social events. I worked with the chef, the food, the
First Lady, who's always involved in the decorations,
and so on and so forth. Greeting people. All the time
that I have been here, I have been kind of the liaison
between Arkansas and the White House. To see that all
of those friends, and family members and so forth, are
completely taken care of when they choose to come and
certainly when they stay and that type of thing.
Next, I was Deputy Director of the White House Visitor's
Office and there again, taking care of visitors to the
White House. Then about two and a half years ago, I
took the position of Director of Personal Correspondence
for the President and First Lady. This is the mail that
comes in, personal mail that comes in, from friends
and family, people they've known for a long time. It
actually comes to a separate zip code. These letters
are literally read by the President and First Lady and
personally signed. I do have letter writers that write
the letters. Also, I archive their personal records.
Various personal items that come in, we prepare them
for the archives. The best part of my job is that I
take care of all of the overnight guests that come to
the White House. I literally invite them, which is really
fun. I mean that is really neat, to be able to call
up and invite them on behalf of the President and the
First Lady to stay overnight at the White House.
Then I make all of the arrangements, see them in, take
care of them while they're here and see them out when
they are ready to leave. So I do that and I am still
continuing keeping up with all of these Arkansas people.
So mine has been a job of just making people feel good.
So I couldn't have had better placement than that. I
do say that we have long hours - I often stay overnight
as a house guest - but if you have to stay someplace,
it's a pretty nice place to stay. (Laughter) Today,
we had to really jitterbug with this arrival ceremony
that was supposed to take place and of course, it rained
and it was, unfortunately you all didn't get to see
it. I wish you could have. But this wonderful White
House staff just turned it on a dime. I've been really
fortunate to be able to go to Camp David. Now that is
just a wonderful, warm, personal, very personal place
for the President and First Lady and I don't think many
people know much about it. And that's kind of the way
they want to keep it. But it's just another privilege
that I've had. I have a delightful husband who fortunately
was able to come to Washington. He had been in real
estate for thirty years and he came to Washington when
I did, and he's working with General Services Administration
and Public Building. And we've met lots of Washington
friends and we've just truly had a marvelous experience.
I have children and grandchildren and I really need
to get home really get to know my grandchildren. Most
of them have been born since we've been gone. I will
go home to Arkansas when this is over and the President's
Library will be in Little Rock, Arkansas. I don't know
if you've ever visited a Presidential Library. I haven't
either…in fact I keep saying I'm going to because this
marvelous one we are going to have in Little Rock.
Keep it in mind. I think you would find it wonderfully
interesting, wherever you are, to visit one. Particularly
with this interest in education you've had and the political
process. I think you'd find it very interesting but
if you ever get to Little Rock, give us at least three
years to get it off the ground. But it will be just
state-of-the art. I would like to have some involvement
with it, primarily, I want to take care of all the people
who come to see it who I've gotten to know up here and
we'll have a lot of visitors who have visited the White
House who will visit Arkansas.
So do you all have any questions for me?
Katie Fayram: Mother Teresa said once, each
of us is merely a small instrument. All of us, after
accomplishing our mission, will disappear. How
would you describe your mission?
Ann McCoy: My mission is to make people feel
like their visit to the White House was comfortable,
a learning experience, and something that they will
extend to other people, an experience that they will
relate to other people in a positive manner.
And especially I want them to take away the feeling
that I have about the President and the First Lady.
Because we do a lot of talking. They ask a lot of
questions about the President and First Lady.
Dov Rohan: How do you describe the difference
between working with Governor Clinton and President
Clinton?
Ann McCoy: That's a good question. It was
a smaller home. I was closer to them. I mean, I saw
them coming and going every day. And actually had
more involvement. I still have a good bit of involvement
with them but its so much…it's much larger up here,
that I have to say I was closer to them, I had a lot
more interaction with everything they did.
They
are much more insulated up here. I have to go through
people to get answers sometimes. Which was not the case
there. So it is a really, I'd say a huge difference
as far as primarily the insulation of those surrounding
the President and First Lady. During the Governorship…in
fact everyone in Arkansas feels like they know him personally
because he was so accessible.
Zack Donoghue: What is the biggest challenge
you face in your job and what attributes to you find
most important in coping with day-to-day life at the
White House?
Ann McCoy: Well…..(laughter)….um, actually
the second part; I find that there are so many people
that want so much. I mean, it is constant and they,
the Clintons know so many people and certainly the
Arkansas people…right now I have to admit all the
Arkansas people are saying, "whoops, you are
going to be leaving there in nine months, I got to
get up there, I've got to have a tour, I've got to
have a photo or a letter or"…you know, they want
all these things…to stay overnight.
So right now, and of course I have to gracefully
try to explain the difficulty in doing particularly
some of the larger requests. And they want to just
see him; "Oh we are going to be in town, we want
to see the President and the First Lady." You
don't do that! You just can't do that, it's just not
that simple.
And I think those
have been my greatest challenges; to try to keep people
happy saying no. And boy, I have learned to do it, and
you can do it if you just work at. And that the greatest
challenge…is that the first part of the question?
Zack Donoghue: Yes
Ann McCoy: Well, I think, and it
was so funny; when we first came, the first thing that
was so difficult were all of the acronyms in Washington
D.C. I mean, boy, they started throwing these at us
and I had no clue what all of these things meant! And
you don't have time to look it up. And now I've become
very bad about that myself because we get so used to
that and it's a shortcut. Everything up here has an
acronym. And then just the different political…feelings,
emotions that you have to learn with politics. People
that you have to particularly take care of and the people
that are more demanding. I think just the atmosphere
of the political jockying was a great challenge to me.
Even though, I really was the administrator of the Governor's
mansion. I did not work at the Capital. So you see,
I was not political. But boy, everything is political
up here. Social is political, everything is political.
Ward Mailliard: Right, because it's such a
concentric town. I think that maybe when you are done
here, they could use you over at the State Department.
You've become a superior diplomat.
Ann McCoy: Well, you either
become that way or you don't last long, I think. And
in my particular area, I have really had to be.
Aaron Jacobs-Smith: How has working here changed
you?
Ann McCoy: Well, I hope it hasn't changed me, to be perfectly
frank. And I think that's it's given me a much broader
and greater appreciation for the office of the President
of the United States. I mean, it is an unbelievable
responsibility. And with all of the political people
that we have up here. I didn't dream that it was so
hard to get a bill through Congress and…I didn't dream
that the political parties were at such odds. And I
honestly don't think it used be that way but it is now.
I think that I really learned to get along with
just about anybody and everybody. And it's worth it
to get along.
Chris Sun: Of the distinguished visitors you've
met here at the White House, who has impressed you
the most?
Ann McCoy: Well, you
know, I have been approached about when I go home, when
I go home, I will maybe be asked to speak to groups
about my experiences up here, and I'll tell you before
you ask me, I am going to write a book for my grandchildren.
But it's going to be their grandmother's experiences
at the White House. But I know I'm going to be asked
a lot of questions like that. And the person who just
literally moved me so deeply was Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela was invited by the Clintons to stay overnight
at the White House with his wife, and he is a treasure,
you all. He is so gentle and so caring! He wants to
meet everyone, he wants to shake hands. He wants to
listen to what you have to say. And when you think about
what all he has been through! And he has the sweetest
disposition. But his philosophy was, which we all should
carry, is that when you go through a real trying situation
like that, if you let the people who are beating you
down win, or if you let them beat you down, they win.
And if you do not let them beat you, then you win.
And that's his philosophy. All the years he spent in
prison, he was not going to let them defeat him. So
keep that in back of your mind. But he was wonderful.
Ward Mailliard: He is one of my all time heroes.
Ann McCoy: And the sweetest thing ….Chelsea
Clinton is a treasure. She is a very sweet child,
she's very smart, she's a hugger, as Gary said, she'll
come and just hug you and her friends are crazy about
her. When Nelson Mandela was released from prison,
I believe Chelsea was nine and there was a television
broadcast when he was released. The President, Governor
Clinton at the time, said "Chelsea, Chelsea,
now come in here; I want you to see this because this
is a great part of history."
So they watched Nelson Mandela walking out of prison
and he was explaining to her, as he had in the past,
what a wonderful man he was and what he had gone through.
Then after that, Chelsea got to go with the President
and meet Mandela. And they just hit it off so well
and they related this incident and everything. So
when he stayed here that night, California is three
hours earlier than we are and it was quite late so
the President said "well Chelsea's probably out
tonight so we'll wait until she gets home and we'll
call her." So Nelson Mandela called her from
the Lincoln Red Room and they had a visit on the phone
that night and….he's just a sweetheart.
Kyle Felder: Have there ever been points during
your work for the White House that you wish you…that
you thought of going back to a quieter life and what
motivated you to keep going?
Ann McCoy: Aha!
Well, no. I have not for a minute, and in fact you all,
I am having a real hard time realizing that the things
we are doing now, a lot of them, we won't do again.
The Easter Egg Walk, the Governor's Dinner, a lot of
these things that we are doing for the last time. And
truly, I walk through these halls right now and just
try not to miss a piece of molding or a painting or
anything because I just want to absorb it. I don't
regret for a moment. I never have thought I wanted to
go back. I'm terribly fortunate that my family are well
and healthy back there…my mother is 88 years old, she's
just a ball of fire, so thank goodness. And she loves
my being here. She's living vicariously through me and
having a wonderful time. And so I'm going to miss it.
I'm really going to miss it. But I'm smart enough
and sensible enough to know that nothing lasts forever.
And I will treasure every day, I won't forget. I'd like
to…I'd like to go on little talking tour, so it will
help me to remember it and relive it and love it. And
I am so fortunate because the President's Library is
going to be in Little Rock and when I get blue, I'll
just go down there and walk around and relive it. So,
I'm very fortunate. What do you think
you'll miss the most about working here?Ann McCoy:
The people. You all.
Ward Mailliard: Thank you very much for that.
Ann McCoy: I really will
miss the people. It's just the most incredible group
of people, and certainly watching President Clinton…I
tell you, you talk about people who are going to miss
the White House and it's not just the ambiance of the
White House, it's the ability to be able to effect change.
However, I believe that he will continue his role of
helping people. I think he's going to work even harder
when he leaves here. Because he won't have all of the
pomp and ceremony that has to go on as President.
Ward Mailliard: Anne, I've got a question
for you and it just suddenly occurred to me. There
must have been somebody in your life who, or people
in your life, who instilled in you some of the qualities
that you bring to the job and bring to the White House.
And I'm curious to know, who are the people that had
influence on you that sort of gave you some of these
incredible skills?
Ann McCoy: Well, I guess, of course my parents
have always been wonderful. I'll never forget I ran
for office when I was in about the eighth grade and…just
a little class office and my father, oh boy, he said…"you
can win little sister" - they called me sister
- and he was my greatest support and I was really
not that outgoing, necessarily. But Daddy just said,
'well why you don't try…get up there and try!' And
he helped me write a little speech and all this…unfortunately
my best friend and I were running for office against
each other and she won. And we walked home from school
together that afternoon - she lived right down the
street - and I had to hold my head high, and I got
through it and I was happy for her and everything
was fine.
And of course, my father said, "oh well, don't
worry about it." And then I went on to the next
thing. Now as far as someone, my parents were great,
very supportive. And…but I was always running for
something, particularly in college. I ran for all
these different things and never won anything! And,
but I learned to be a real good loser. (Laughter)
And I really enjoyed it in a sense, it's strange,
but I was not afraid of the challenge. And hey…you
need me?
Yes, I'm sorry, I hate to take her away from you all.
Has Gary spoken to you all.Ann McCoy: Yes, yes
he has. Okay, I'll be there, I'll be there in just a
few minutes. Now, please go on and I'll meet you.
No, it's not that, it's something else, from another
source. I'll go and talk to him.Ann McCoy: Oh,
okay. But anyway, I feel like my grandmother was incredible.
She was one of these very prim and proper lady… I kind
of balanced all of these influences. I always felt like
I would listen and then try to make the best decision
on the things that I did. I can't think of anyone except
just my parents, who were great, supportive and they
never made me feel like I couldn't at least try for
something. So it really made it easier
I'm afraid I've got to go! But don't ever be afraid
to try. Because if you do…if you don't make it, just
think about the experience you went through and the
next time it will be a little easier because you realize,
"Oh well, if I don't make it, the world didn't
come to an end." And go on and try again.
I guess that I learned that
if you give, you are going to get back and I think I'm
generally a kind of a peacemaker and if you're a peacemaker,
and it's not that I want everybody to like me…. I don't
want them necessarily not to like me …but I think if
you make people feel good, they'll make you feel good
in return. You all are so fortunate to have this
man.
Ward Mailliard: Thank you so much. God Bless
you.
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