That same day, the reform committee held a hearing on the order, and four presidential historians testified.

The last time that presidential historians can remember a political advertising climate being this tame was 1976.

Richard Norton Smith, a presidential historian, was the first director and held the position for two years.

As a presidential historian, Wead is a frequent guest on television shows.

Even so, the commission's success may not be known for years, said Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian.

Though the word "legacy" has a positive cast, Presidential historians often use it to convey a more neutral meaning.

The reasoning was simple, said Michael Beschloss, the presidential historian.

"There's nothing he can do about it," said Robert Dallek, a presidential historian.

"There are usually two ways that presidents do important things," said Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian.

Presidential historians" seem to be everywhere these days.