James C. Humes (31 October 1934 – 21 August 2020) was an author and former presidential speechwriter. Humes was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on 31 October, 1934 to Samuel and Elenor (née Graham) Humes. At age 19 he attend the

Stowe School , motto_translation = I stand firm and I stand first , established = , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent school, day & boarding , religion = Church of England , president = , head_label = Headmaster ...

on scholarship where he met

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

who advised him, “Young man, study history. In history lie all the secrets of statecraft.” After graduation from

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

he attended law school at

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

. While still in law school he wrote speeches for then-President

Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

. He served one term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 1963-1965 representing

Lycoming county Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. ...

. Humes, along with

William Safire William Lewis Safire (; Safir; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009Safire, William (1986). ''Take My Word for It: More on Language.'' Times Books. . p. 185.) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He w ...

and

Pat Buchanan Patrick Joseph Buchanan (; born November 2, 1938) is an American paleoconservative political commentator, columnist, politician, and broadcaster. Buchanan was an assistant and special consultant to U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, an ...

, is credited for authoring the text on the

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, an ...

lunar plaque The Lunar plaques are stainless steel commemorative plaques measuring attached to the ladders on the descent stages of the United States Apollo Lunar Modules flown on lunar landing missions Apollo 11 through Apollo 17, to be left permanently on t ...

.''NY Times''
/ref> Humes has written many books sharing his extensive knowledge of the modern history and political landscape.

Selected works

* ''The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: A Book of Quotations'', 2005 * ''Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers'', 2002 * ''The Wit & Wisdom of Ronald Reagan'', 2007 * ''The Wit & Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin'', 2001 * ''The Wit & Wisdom of Winston Churchill: A Treasury of More Than 1,000 Quotations and Anecdotes'', 1994 * ''The Sir Winston Method: The Five Secrets of Speaking the Language of Leadership'', 1991 * ''Confessions of a White House Ghostwriter: Five presidents and Other Political Adventures'', 1997 * ''Eisenhower and Churchill: The Partnership That Saved the World'', 2001 * ''How to Get Invited to the White House ... and Over One Hundred Impressive Gambits, Foxy Face-Savers, and Clever Maneuvers'', 1977 * ''Instant Eloquence; A Lazy Man's Guide to Public Speaking'', 1985 * ''Nixon's Ten Commandments of Statecraft: His Guiding Principles of Leadership and Negotiation'', 1997 (Simon & Schuster) * ''Churchill: The Prophetic Statesman'', 2012 (Regnery Publishing)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Humes, James C. Living people Nixon administration personnel American speechwriters Williams College alumni The Hill School alumni 1934 births People educated at Stowe School