Friends of the LBJ Library | Feb, 23 2026 6:30PM - 7:30PM
In honor of Presidents’ Day, we gathered for an evening with Jean Becker and Tom Collamore, former staffers to President George H.W. Bush and co-authors of Don’t Tell the President: The Best, Worst & Mostly Untold Stories from Presidential Advance. In the book, they shared some of the most harrowing and hilarious stories behind presidential events over the past sixty years—from the Rose Garden and Air Force One to foreign trips and state dinners—detailing the art of preparation behind these delicate, high-stress operations and revealing how they were often one step away from disaster.
This program was hosted by the Friends of the LBJ Library.
About the speakers
Jean Becker served as chief of staff for President George H. W. Bush for nearly twenty-five years. She is the editor of Pearls of Wisdom (with Barbara Bush) and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H. W. Bush’s Post Presidency and Character Matters: And Other Life Lessons from George H. W. Bush. She also served as deputy press secretary to First Lady Barbara Bush and was a newspaper reporter for ten years, including four years at USA Today.
Tom Collamore first met President George H.W. Bush in 1978 as his driver and became part of his inner circle of staffers. Tom served in various senior roles throughout the twelve years of President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush’s administrations and has been an advisor to the George and Barbara Bush Foundation for over twenty-five years. After government Tom enjoyed a long career as a senior corporate executive and trade association leader. He’s the founder of Collamore Consulting Group, providing strategic counsel to CEOs of companies, associations and non-profits.
About the Book
Don’t Tell the President is a collection of the greatest tales of triumph and near-crisis in presidential advance. Behind every seamless campaign appearance and presidential affair lies the meticulous work of event planners and advance teams—the little-known professionals who transform political logistics into carefully choreographed performances.
Here are illuminating firsthand accounts from dedicated employees who worked for every modern-day president from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama, a few First Ladies, and vice presidents. The professionals sharing their memories are the strategic masterminds who ensure every moment appears effortless and spontaneous, while little is actually left to chance.
Allowing us to witness presidential history and politics from a new angle, Don’t Tell the President brings together the hilarious chaos of Veep and the grandeur of The West Wing. It is a memorable and at times laugh-out-loud-funny look at how many presidential events happen—and how many almost went awry.
Book sales
The Store at LBJ will be selling copies of Don’t Tell the President: The Best, Worst & Mostly Untold Stories from Presidential Advance onsite in the upper lobby of the LBJ Auditorium from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and again immediately following the program. Co-authors Jean Becker and Tom Collamore will sign books from 5:30-6:15 p.m. in the upper Auditorium lobby.
By purchasing through the Store at LBJ, you support a local cultural institution. All proceeds from sales support our programming, exhibits, and educational initiatives at the LBJ Presidential Library.
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