- Hello, I'm Beth Macmillan, and welcome to "ARTEFFECTS."

In our featured segment, we sit down with Richard Bryan, a retired U.S.

Senator and former governor of Nevada.

Bryan is now a published author having captured his decades of experience in politics on paper.

We sat down with Bryan to discuss his memoir, "My Life in Nevada Politics."

(playful staccato music) - 1942, Fifth Street Grammar School, I'm going to kindergarten.

And Miss Hancock was a legendary kindergarten teacher.

The assignment was coloring within the lines of a map.

And I was not always within the lines.

So the note that was sent to my mother was, "Richard needs to learn to stay within the lines."

How prophetic.

Years later, when I was involved in politics, I ran into her at a meeting, and I said, "You were so right."

(chuckles) "My Life in Nevada Politics" is about my experience growing up in Las Vegas and then moving to the political ranks after I graduated from Las Vegas High School and University of Nevada.

- "My Life in Nevada Politics" is the story of one of the most important figures in Nevada political history.

Richard Bryan's career in politics starts as a boy.

He's seven years old or so and he tells his classmates in elementary school, "When I grow up, I'm going to be the governor of Nevada."

He goes to the Nevada Assembly, to the Nevada State Senate.

He runs for Attorney General.

He doesn't win the first time, but the second time he does.

He parlays that into the Governor's Office of Nevada.

- Ladies and gentlemen, Nevada's governor from 1983 to 1989, Richard Bryan.

(audience applauding) Although you're Senator Bryan, you're Governor Bryan to me.

But what about your first day in office?

- Well, I had wanted to be governor from the time I was a kid.

And it was difficult to comprehend that I'd arrived.

That morning, we drove on down.

And in the back, there's a sign with the governor's parking space in it.

Said, "Governor Bryan."

I must say in the entire six years that I served as governor, every time pulling into that space was always kind of an exciting moment for me.

(playful music) - After one term and a remarkably sweeping reelection, he's called to serve in the United States Senate.

And he serves with some distinction there for two terms.

His whole life is devoted to public service.

- I've had some success: you know, a legislator and attorney general and governor and U.S.

Senator.

It wasn't always smooth sailing.

(playful music) In each phase of my life, there was a learning experience, and that was important for me to communicate.

(playful music) The book is full of my shortcomings and the victories.

It was a labor of love, but it took a lot of time.

- This was a process that took years to complete.

However, along the way, there were some hilarious moments, and they all come from his own experiences.

Now, think about it.

This young candidate for office for the State Assembly, he finds himself in a bowling alley going from lane to lane to lane.

In between rolls during league play, he's passing out his little cards saying, "Hey, I'm running for the Assembly."

- John L. Smith was an absolute godsend.

I knew of him.

His mother had been a secretary in the District Attorney's office when I was there.

And John L. had a column in the "Las Vegas Review Journal."

And I think you need to have someone who you have a comfortable relationship who can say to you, "That doesn't sound very good.

"Let's try this."

(upbeat music) Really, the most challenging part were probably my gubernatorial years and my years in the Senate.

Because there were a lot of bills that I was voting on.

So I needed to have some research done, and John did a lot of research.

- There's a lot of fun going from the small town to the big city, if you will, in the book.

As Nevada grows, he grew along with it, in politics.

But he also takes time to think about the people who helped him along the way.

- John and I would meet together and go over a draft that I had written and made some suggestions.

He would then send me the revised copy by email.

I'd make whatever corrections or changes and send it back.

- The result was something that's certainly in his voice.

And I think people who take time to read it will see the person that he is.

(upbeat piano music) - There was a book signing for the book.

Tell me how you'd like me to sign your name in my book.

Governor Sandoval, as I call him now, the president of the university, I asked him to join us.

And John L. Smith was the moderator.

My father's influence was profound.

And the statement that he made to me so many times growing up, "Every citizen has an obligation "to give back something to his or her community."

I would hope the people who read my book recognize that life presents some hardships, some difficulties and setbacks for all of us.

The lesson is, move forward.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Funding for "ARTEFFECTS" is made possible by Sandy Raffealli with Bill Pearce Motors, Heidemarie Rochlin, (upbeat music) in memory of Sue McDowell, (upbeat music) the Carol Franc Buck Foundation, and by the annual contributions of PBS Reno members.

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