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THE MEMOIR
What do 11 U.S. presidents, the Dalai Lama and Whoopi have in common?
Patrick's journey began in the late 1950s, during high school, and never slowed down. While in college Patrick first photographed Nixon after he lost the bid for the governorship in California, 4 years before Nixon became president. Newspaper assignment sent him to the 1964 Rose Bowl, photographing Eisenhower who was Grand Marshal that year. He built a career on being present for the moments that mattered.
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Encounters with 11 U.S. presidents, captured up close.
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The day he photographed the last two surviving five-star generals, Eisenhower and Omar Bradley.
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Backstage moments with cultural icons, from Whoopi Goldberg to the Beach Boys.
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The early assignments that launched a sixty-year career.
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IN THEATERS NOW
With Toy Story 5 in theaters, it is worth remembering that “Buzz Lightyear”Toy Story character from Disney-Pixar “Toy Story” franchise was named after a real astronaut. Buzz Aldrin, the Apollo 11 moonwalker, appears in the book holding a Buzz Lightyear toy, a perfect moment to revisit the man behind the name.
Patrick O'Donnell
ABOUT PATRICK
Photojournalist. Teacher. Witness to history.
Patrick O'Donnell dedicated more than six decades to the art of photojournalism, capturing the essence of historical moments and the people who made them. His passion began in the late 1950s, when he first discovered what a camera could preserve. He never put it down.
Working as a freelance photographer alongside his wife, Peggy, also a freelance photographer, Patrick earned remarkable access. He photographed 11 U.S. presidents and shared backstage moments with celebrities, from Whoopi Goldberg and Kevin Costner to Buzz Aldrin and the Beach Boys. For his contributions, he received the Lifetime Achievement award from the Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles.
Beyond his own work, he gave back to his craft, lecturing for more than forty years at Southern California state universities and community colleges, shaping a new generation of photographers and communicators.
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Chronicled Nixon's Orange County years, beginning to end
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Lifetime Achievement award, PPAGLA
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Sixty-plus years as a working photojournalist
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Forty-plus years teaching across Southern California
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Photographed the last two five-star generals (1964 and 1977)
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Photographed 11 U.S. presidents
A preserved archive
Patrick's negatives, slides, and digital photographs have been donated to institutions that safeguard the historical record. In recognition of his decades of teaching, a scholarship in his name supports Communications undergraduates at Cal State Fullerton.
NIXON LIBRARY
CAL STATE FULLERTON
CARTER LIBRARY
ROOSEVELT LIBRARY, HYDE PARK
WEST POINT
UC IRVINE
IN MEMORY
In loving memory of Patrick O'Donnell. The book lives on.
LIFE IS A PHOTO OP
THROUGH THE LENS
Sixty years, one frame at a time.
A selection of Patrick's photographs across his career. Add real images, grouped by theme, with credit to the estate.
The Presidents & Politics
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The 46th U.S. president, up close in the crowd.
President Joe Biden
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President Nixon with Spiro Agnew, his vice president from 1969 until Agnew resigned in 1973.
Richard Nixon & Spiro Agnew
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The 40th president and former California governor, addressing a crowd.
President Ronald Reagan
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On the campaign trail, among supporters and press.
President Jimmy Carter
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First Lady Rosalynn Carter with Peggy Goldwater Clay, daughter of Senator Barry Goldwater.
Rosalynn Carter & Peggy Goldwater Clay
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Greeting supporters hand to hand, part of Patrick's front-to-finish record of Nixon's Orange County years.
Richard Nixon on the Trail
Notable Encounters
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Brian Wilson and Mike love 2006 at the 100th anniversary celebration of Newport Beach CAl
The Beach Boys
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Daughter of President Nixon and grandson of President Eisenhower, alongside broadcaster Hugh Hewitt.
Julie & David Eisenhower, with Hugh Hewitt
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The legendary comedian and Oscar winner, known for his cigar and round glasses.
George Burns
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The Oscar-winning actor, named in the book's title, on stage with the legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite.
Whoopi Goldberg & Walter Cronkite
Behind the Lens
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Pat and Nick Ut, Pulitzer Prize Winning photographer, with O’Donnell’s vest full of press passes vest from a lifetime on assignment, from the Rose Bowl to the White House pool.
Six Decades of Credentials
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Patrick at an exhibition of his photographs, Nikon in hand.
A Life's Work on the Wall
Peggy O'Donnell
David Eisenhower, Sergei Khrushchev, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower.
Peggy O'Donnell
Sergei and Julie look very much like the Fathers
Two of a Kind
The Fair Years
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One of the unforgettable characters from Patrick's years covering the Orange County Fair, performing inside a living swarm of bees.
The Bee Man
All photographs © the Estate of Patrick O'Donnell. More from the archive available on request.
MEDIA & PRESS
Resources for journalists and libraries.
Everything you need to cover Patrick's work and his memoir. For interviews or appearances, use the contact form below.
SHORT BIO
Patrick O'Donnell was a photojournalist for more than sixty years who photographed 11 U.S. presidents, the Dalai Lama, and cultural figures including Whoopi Goldberg and the Beach Boys. His memoir, "What Do 11 U.S. Presidents, the Dalai Lama and Whoopi Have in Common?", chronicles his career. He passed away in March 2025
BOOK FACTS
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Title: What Do 11 U.S. Presidents, the Dalai Lama and Whoopi Have in Common?
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Author: Patrick O'Donnell
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Genre: Memoir / Photojournalism
SUGGESTED INTERVIEW TOPICS
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Six decades of photographing U.S. presidents
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The story behind photographing the last two five-star generals
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Lessons from a life in photojournalism and teaching
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How a photographer's archive reaches presidential libraries
APPROVED IMAGE
Author photo and cover image are available for press use. Please credit as the estate directs.
NEWSLETTER
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PRESS
PATRICK IN FUCOS
Life Is a Photo Op
The legacy and memoir of photojournalist Patrick O'Donnell, who spent sixty years capturing the people who shaped an era.
LEGACY
A scholarship in Patrick's name supports Communications undergraduates at Cal State Fullerton.
Copyright © 2026 | Peggy O'Donnell | Created by Atticus Publishing | All rights reserved.