That's Rufus: A Memoir of Tar Heel Politics, Watergate and Public Life

by Rufus L Edmisten

A farm boy from the mountains of North Carolina, Rufus Edmisten could not have been prepared for the halls of power in Washington, D.C., during the Vietnam War era, as young men burned their draft cards and pro-cannabis factions held "smoke-ins" in the capital. A University of North Carolina Chapel Hill graduate, he earned a law degree at George Washington University and landed a job as counsel to U.S. senator Samuel J. Ervin, Jr. This led to Edmisten's appointment as Deputy Chief Counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee--he personally served Richard Nixon the first ever subpoena of a sitting president by Congress. Returning to North Carolina, he served as Attorney General and Secretary of State before retiring from public life to practice law and participate in charitable activities. Written with humor and candor, his memoir recalls the cultural contrasts of American life in the 1970s and 1980s, and affirms that the business of government is to enable us to live together peacefully.

234 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2019

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a young North Carolina mountain boy who grew up to be Senator Sam Ervin, Jr.'s right-hand man during the Watergate hearings. For those of us who grew up during the Watergate years, Mr. Edmisten's stories of those days brings back many memories of the events themselves but also fills in a lot of background on how and why the hearings happened and what actually happened behind the scenes. It's also a story of a young man who rides the highs and lows of public service: From Watergate the author makes a run for North Carolina's Attorney General, wins and is re-elected, runs for governor and loses, and then runs for Secretary of State and wins but is brought down by inappropriate management in his office. He resigns, returns to public life while rebuilding his law practice when he is suddenly struck down by a potentially fatal illness. He survives all of these events with his faith and good humor intact, recognizing his strengths and his weaknesses, bouncing back time after time. I think I'll remember a lot of Mr. Edmisten's stories, especially how he remembered his upbringing throughout his life even when he didn't necessarily follow it all the time, and how, when things were at their darkest, he fought back and rebounded, again with faith and humor intact. This is a good behind-the-scenes autobiography of a public servant and the stories behind his efforts.

[Cheryl Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listen to Rufus on The Weekend Gardner. Not being from NC I knew he had been in politics but had no idea his connection to Watergate. Fascinating reading about that from someone so involved in the investigation.
Most the rest of the book was an easy, cursory read about his life. Interesting but not much depth.
I enjoyed seeing all the photos of famous people he met over the years.

[Robin Hodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. Brought back a lot of memories of Watergate, and things going on in NC over the years. Love how Rufus survived all his "troubles" and didn't hold grudges. His Mama taught him well. Would love to visit his garden & talk "gardening" with him.

[Benny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my friend Rufus’s book!

This was a great read and I was growing up and knew of many of these events but learned a lot about the background and funny details of some of these.

Likewise Rufus helped me deal with some similar (although much much smaller scale) issues during my career. Some only hear of the negative parts of a story but one needs to always know there is more than that usually and best not to jump to any conclusions until one knows the whole story. I am proud to have known Rufus and of his support in a rough patch in my career as well.

I hope all that read enjoy this book half as much as I did 😊