Forty years later, Watergate still teaches many lessons. 

Watergate will be the focus of a panel discussion at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. 

Former U.S. Reps. Edward Mezvinsky, of Iowa, and Elizabeth Holtzman, of New York, will speak on the panel. Both served on the House Judiciary Committee during the hearings of Watergate.

Also on the panel will be Jonathan Yarowsky, general counsel to the House Judiciary Committee from 1988-95. 

“I think they will be able to answer the question,” James McCormick said of what can be learned from Watergate. McCormick is a professor and chairman of political science. “It gives you some sense of the era.” 

The lecture will present the constitutional responsibilities of Congress when there is high crime and misdemeanors. The constitutional responsibilities are included to ensure there are no high crimes and misdemeanors while in office. 

McCormick said that prior to Watergate there was a notion of an imperial presidency. 

“The president could do what he wanted, and the public would support it,” McCormick said. 

Since Watergate, there has been added skepticism and intolerance from the public toward presidential actions, and the episodes of Watergate reduced the level of trust in the government, McCormick said. 

“I think it made the public more skeptical and more questioning of presidential actions,” he said. 

The Watergate scandal led to President Richard Nixon leaving office.

In addition to the panel discussion, a reception will be at 3:30 p.m. at Parks Library recognizing the gift to Iowa State of a collection of Mezvinsky’s legislative and public service papers. 

The collection contains papers from the U.S. House Judiciary Committee during the hearings of Watergate.

McCormick said the papers will add a wealth of importance to research at Iowa State.

“The documentary evidence will give one member’s participation in the whole Watergate process back in 1973 to 1974 and, particularly, as it relates to the impeachment that took place in the House Judiciary committee in 1974,” McCormick said.  

“So I think that this is a great benefit of a first hand account of member’s deliberations and resources.”