With the Bark Off: A Journalist's Memories of LBJ and a Life in the News Media

by Neal Spelce, Thomas Zigal

Overview

What if you got a call from Lyndon Johnson to be in Washington DC tomorrow to take a trip around the world? If you are twenty-four-year-old broadcast journalist Neal Spelce, you buckle up. A two-week diplomatic dream trip turned into a lifelong rollercoaster ride. Spelce began his career as a part-time journalist in the LBJ family-owned Austin TV station in 1956, which vaulted him into a lifetime of memorable experiences with Johnson and many icons of the twentieth century. From his live reporting during the UT Tower shooting tragedy to his lifelong association with LBJ, Spelce found himself behind the scenes in many of the twentieth century’s crucial moments. The Austin-based journalist shares candid moments with LBJ and five other US presidents, including a rare interview with father and son presidents George Bush while the three were cramped together in a small bass boat on a Texas lake. During his lengthy media career, Spelce saw Austin grow from a college town to a thriving city. Along the way he interacted with Texas legends such as Darrell Royal, Willie Nelson, Dan Rather, and more, all part of entertaining stories that he tells, as LBJ liked to say, “with the bark off.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781953480064
Publisher:	Briscoe Ctr for Amer History UT-Austin
Publication date:	10/05/2021
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	474,208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Neal Spelce, an award-winning journalist, has worked as a TV anchor and media consultant for more than sixty years.Thomas Zigal is an award-winning novelist who lives in Austin, Texas.

Table of Contents

Foreword Dan Rather xi

Preface Don Carleton xv

Introduction 1

All the Way with LBJ 4

A Mighty Bulwark 13

My Bare-Boned Self 16

Working for Bird and The Man 18

Talking Head 29

The 1960 Presidential Campaign 34

John Connally's Eyepatch 39

CBS Fellowship at Columbia University 41

"I Don't Know How Lyndon Does It" 50

LBJ Ascending, 1961-1963 58

The Kennedys in Texas 62

A Controversial President 71

Jake Pickle: Meat-and-Potatoes Guy 73

The Headliners Club: "Not Who, But What" 82

The White House on the Pedernales 85

Both Sides Journalism 95

Competition Rears Its Head 100

Tower Tragedy 102

Tower Coverage 123

Tower Aftermath 131

Tower Garden and Memorial 136

Arkansas Travelers 141

The Big Leap 152

"Honey, I've Quit My Job" 157

Lyndon Johnson in Cement 160

Tom Johnson: The Pen Is Mightier 180

1972 Civil Rights Symposium: "If Our Hearts Are Right" 185

Laying The Man to Rest 188

Lady Bird's Sense of Beauty 199

Lady Bird, Fly Away Home 202

Mad Men, Austin-Style 209

News Junkie 216

A True Maverick 226

Celebrities, Politicians, and a Few Rascals 240

Fishing with Presidents George and George 264

Journalism Is a Doing Thing 269

"Time Equals Truth" 273

Postscript 278

Acknowledgments 279

Appendices 285

Index 298