Dr. Ruth Still Takes Pride in Helping Convince 'Handsome, Tall' Bill Clinton to Run for President (Exclusive)

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the Holocaust survivor turned Israeli soldier turned quick-witted sex therapist, has a remarkable life story that has inspired millions around the nation — but as she turns 95, one potentially pivotal conversation still stands out in her mind: the time, she tells PEOPLE, that she helped convince then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton to set his sights on the White House.

Westheimer says it was thanks to her and "some other smart people" that Clinton ultimately decided to run for president in 1992. "I reminded him [at a recent event] that many years ago in Arkansas I saw him — I saw this handsome, tall man. I said, 'You should run for president. I will vote for you,' and the rest is history, as you know."

In response, a spokesperson for the Office of President Bill Clinton tells PEOPLE, “Dr. Ruth has given a lot of good advice over the years, but maybe none better than telling a young Arkansas Governor he should run for President!”

According to Westheimer, Clinton is always quick to credit her for the enthusiasm she showed him before he ran.

RELATED: The Story Behind Bill Clinton and Dr. Ruth's Decades-Long Friendship: 'He's Always Been Impressed by Her'

At the event where Westheimer saw Clinton in May — nearly a year after the two sparked internet buzz for sitting together at Serena Williams' US Open game — the duo spent a moment catching up. Westheimer tells PEOPLE she won't divulge the details of their chat, except that it wasn't about the weather — "that's too boring."

"He kissed me on my head," she says, "and Hillary was there and Hillary smiled, and I had a great time chatting with him."

RELATED: Bill Clinton and Dr. Ruth's Friendship Through the Years (Photos)

Westheimer's longtime friendship with the 42nd president of the United States is well-documented, dating back to the 1980s.

"Dr. Ruth traveled to Arkansas in the '80s to visit her daughter, Miriam," a source close to the Clintons explained to PEOPLE in 2022, adding that Bill got wind of Ruth's visit and requested a meeting with the Westheimers at the governor's office.

"Dr. Ruth's show was on TV then, and needless to say, she was a massive hit with the staff," the source said. "She and President Clinton have been friends ever since."

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Through the decades, the pair have been photographed together on a number of occasions, often bearing wide grins or doing silly poses that accentuate their comical height difference (Ruth proudly stands at 4 feet, 7 inches, with the former president towering overhead at 6 feet, 2 inches).

Together they have attended charity events, the Grammys, a White House state dinner honoring Moroccan royalty, and — as of last year — a US Open match where a retiring tennis legend pulled off a win.