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Nixon Library, Yorba Linda, CA 7/19/90 [OA 8130]
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Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
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S; 1998-0188-F
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MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Smith, Curt, Files
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Chron File, 1989-1992
OA/ID Number:
13889
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13889-021
Folder Title:
Nixon Library, Yorba Linda, California, 7/19/90
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18
29
1
5
Call anya
(Smith/Garmey)
June 25, 1990
9 A.M.
NIX
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NIXON LIBRARY
YORBA LINDA, CALIFORNIA
THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1990
Misto Mi
10:30 A.M.
President and Mrs. Nixon --- and how pleased I am to see you
u,Gat.
President and Mrs. Ford, President and Mrs. Reagan. Ladies and
gentlemen. Thank you for the privilege of saluting an office to
which my predecessors devoted the full measure of their lives:
The Presidency of the United States. //
To Lincoln, the Presidency played America's "mystic chords
of memory.' To TR, it meant the "bully pulpit," reflecting
American values and ideals. And it was Dwight Eisenhower --
beloved Ike -- who described its power "to proclaim anew our
faith," and summon "lightness against the dark."
To occupy this office is to feel a kinship with these and
other Presidents. Each of whom, in his own way, sought to do
right -- and thus achieve good. // Each felt a sacred obligation
to serve this dream we call America. And often wondered, I
suspect, how they could be worthy of God, and man. //
We have with us today heroes who met that test. Three
former Presidents -- and three First Ladies -- who enriched the
Anena
United States -- and helped the U.S. enrich the world. //
(
(Collectively, Besipes I'm glad to get you together for a very
/ 1
simple reason. Maybe we can compare notes. See, I still haven't
figured out how to open the lower drawer of my office desk. )) //
2
Individually: Here this morning are the 38th President of
the United States, Gerald Ford, and Mrs. Ford. // On behalf of
each American, an entire Nation is grateful for the example of
your lives. / /
Here, too, are Mrs. Reagan and my distinguished predecessor,
the 40th President of the United States. To Ronald Reagan, I
say: "Thank you for helping us to believe in ourselves again.
We will not forget how you truly blessed America." //
Go to Grand Rapids or to Austin and Hyde Park. Go -- in
I
months -- to Santa Barbara. You will see what these Americans
and their spouses meant. Their libraries move us, inspire us --
etch what we are as a Nation, and a people. Their lessons live
as oral history -- passed from one generation to another. //
Last year, nearly million men and women visited
-
Presidential libraries. Most were American -- almost half ages
or younger. They don't remember the 37th President of the
-
United States -- or the years 1969-74. They will come here, and
wonder: "What was Richard Nixon, and his Presidency, about?"
Let us provide an answer worthy of America, and of my friend. //
Writing of Richard Nixon, historians will observe many
things. They will note that only FDR ran as many times -- five
-- for national office: Each winning four. And that more people
voted for RN as President than any man in history. // They will
talk of Horatio Alger and Alger Hiss, the Great Debates of 1960
and the Great Comeback of '68. Of the book, Six Crises, and the
seventh crisis, Watergate. // They will write of Checkers --
3
mistu
Millie's role model And, yes, Mr. President, your answer to my
"Vision thing" -- "Let me make this perfectly clear." //
We will read of your times as President: Perhaps as
tumultuous as any since Lincoln's. And what you sought as
President: A Nation where what we are matters more than what we
have. We will recall, too, as an author said, how Richard Nixon
"was central to the experience of being American in the second
half of this century." // Yet these are public facts: RN's life
was personal. So let me say what I would tell those who journey
to Yorba Linda.
I would say, first: Look at perhaps the truest index of
any man -- his family. Think of his mother -- a gentle Quaker -
- and his father, who built the house not far from here. And his
daughters, Julie and Tricia. Any parent would be proud of
offspring such as these. // Think, finally, of what Good
Housekeeping proclaimed the most admired woman of post-World War
Two
II America. The woman we know, and love, as Pat. //
As First Lady, Pat Nixon championed the Right to Read
program, refurbished the White House and opened it to more
Americans than ever, and brought the "Parks to People" program to
the disabled and the disadvantaged. She believed the White House
should be alight like Washington's other monuments -- and so it
was. She was our most widely traveled First Lady -- visiting
-
continents and Nations. //
Most of all, she grew up in Nevada -- poor, orphaned -- to
become a parable of America's heart, and love. // When, in 1958,
foreign
4
MAM mobs stoned the Nixons' car, she was, a reporter said,
"stronger than any man." Yet it was also Pat who moved pianist
Duke Ellington, at a White House dinner, to improvise a melody.
"I shall pick a name," he said, "gentle, graceful -- like
Patricia." Mrs. Nixon, the Secret Service called you "Starlight."
I thank you for illuminating the true beauty of America. //
Next, I would say to visitors here: Look at the qualities
ApH
which, collectively, we know as character. // Richard Nixon had
an intellectual's complexity. He was a writer / eight books //
each composed on his famous yellow? legal pads // who, like Jack London
Hh
admired the dignity of manual labor. A pragmatist who believed
that "politics is poetry, not prose.' // He worked in the most
public of arenas -- yet was, at bottom, he mused, "an introvert
in an extrovert's profession." // A man who, even in Peking and
Moscow, upheld the values of Mayberry.
yes!
"Many times we were called square," he would say, "and as
far as we were concerned, that was just fine." ( (To which I say:
Amen. )) // He repudiated the tribunes of intellectual fashion
-- endorsing principles beliefs which are always in fashion. He was a
patriot -- would not contest the 1960 Election. yes! He mirrored love
of country, and God. He was loyal to friends, and protective of
loved ones. He also liked to laugh -- at a joke, and at himself.
( (Let me repeat a story which President Nixon himself
enjoys. // One day, greeting an airport crowd, he heard a young
girl shouting, "How is Smokey the Bear?" // then at the
Washington Zoo. The girl kept repeating the question. Not
5
grasping her words, RN was first baffled -- then turned to an
aide. // "Smokey the Bear," the aide whispered. "Washington
National Zoo." // Triumphant, President Nixon walked over, and
extended his hand. Said he: "How do you do / Miss Bear?") ///
Well, I AM no one to comment on Anyone's we CRITILIZE A VERBAL BLUNDeR.
President Nixon was being sensitive to a child's feelings. Remember
we know all 200mgJay -DOING-WAS
the time A
Just as he remembered birthdays with roses, and mailed hand-
said me must
"cancer
written letters to defeated rivals like his dear friend Hubert conquer!"?
Humphrey. // When a secretary made a typing error, he would save
her embarrassment by redictating his memo. When the POWs
returned home in early 1973 to a White House State Dinner, he saw
that each wife received a corsage. He was thoughtful,
dAton
sentimental and uncommonly kind. Let me speak that so my voice
is was from
reaches Berkeley and Harvard Yard: Richard Nixon was among the
?square to 2 square to
most thoroughly decent men to ever occupy the Oval Office. //
This brings me to what I would next tell those who travel to
Yorba Linda. What President Nixon said of Dwight Eisenhower in a
1969 eulogy was true, also, of RN: "He came from the heart of
America." Not geographically, perhaps, but culturally. //
Richard Nixon was the quintessence of Middle America, and
touched deep chords of response in millions of citizens. As
President, upholding what he termed the "Silent Majority" -- a
hero in Dallas and Davenport, Syracuse and Siler City. // He
loved America's good, quiet, decent people. He was one of them;
he spoke for them; he felt, deeply, on their behalf. Theodore
White would say: "Middle America had been without a great leader
for generations, and in Richard Nixon it elevated a man of talent
we was
6
and ability." // For millions of Americans, President Nixon
became what they had rarely known: A Voice. Mr. President, as
long as I am President, that voice will not be stilled. //
Finally, I would say to visitors: Richard Nixon helped
change our lives. At home, founding the Environmental Protection
Agency, revenue sharing, and a pioneering cancer initiative. 11a
delineate
Abroad, engaging in diplomatic summitry, and helping end the bi-
polar globe. // Who can forget RN's trip to China -- mythic,
almost magic. Or how he signed the first agreement of the
nuclear age to limit strategic nuclear arms? He ended the draft.
Was credited by Golda Meir with saving Israel during the Yom
Kippur War. Endured hate and obscenities to achieve a noble goal
in a noble cause --"Peace With Honor" in Viet Nam. // "Being
President," he said, "is nothing compared with what you can do as
peace.' I salute you -- for America and the world.
President." Mr. President, you helped achieve "A Generation united of
//
There have been, literally, millions of words about Richard
Nixon. But let me close with a passage from the President
himself. It was written 20 years this May, after he visited
college students, in early dawn, at the Lincoln Memorial. Where
they talked of peace, war, and what the Quakers call "peace at
the center." Returning to the White House, President Nixon
dictated a memorandum. Listen to what it says of idealism, and
conscience. //
"What we must think about," he began, "is what are those
elements of the spirit which really matter." He confessed he
7
didn't have an answer - -- but that students were searching, just
as he had forty years before. //
Then, RN concluded: "I just wanted them [to realize] that
ending the war, and cleaning up the streets, air, and water, were
not going to solve spiritual hunger -- which all of us have and
which, of course, has been the great mystery of life from the
beginning of time." ///
Mr. President, you provided answers -- to those young people
and those who'll visit the Nixon Library. You made a difference
for the Nation that you loved. // Defeated, you came back --
again and again. Disparaged, you prevailed. You showed how life
can be a metaphor for courage. Believing in -- and making real -
- a touch of the American Dream. //
Some people talk of an "Old Nixon," others, a "New." The
Real Nixon has always been good enough for me. // I was proud to
serve you, and that you were my President. Looking back, I am
even prouder today. // God bless you, sir. God bless America.
And now, it is my distinct pleasure and honor to introduce the
37th President of the United States.
# # # #
(Smith/Garmey)
July 16, 1990
9 A.M.
NIX
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NIXON LIBRARY
YORBA LINDA, CALIFORNIA
THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1990
10:30 A.M.
Preside
President and Mrs. Nixon. How pleased I am to see you.
President and Mrs. Reagan, President and Mrs. Ford. Secretary
Mosbacher. Reverend Graham, Senior Members of the Nixon
Administration, Governor Duekmejian, Senator Wilson, Chief
Justice Burger, Vicky Carr. Those great American heroes -- our
Viet Nam Prisoners of War. Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Mr.
President, for that introduction. And to all of you, for the
privilege of helping to dedicate the Richard M. Nixon Library and
Birthplace. // er their sturid
To Lincoln, the Presidency helped play -- as he put it --
America's "mystic chords of memory." To TR, it meant the "bully
pulpit," reflecting America at her most vital. And it was Dwight
Eisenhower -- beloved Ike -- who described its power "to proclaim
anew our faith," and summon "lightness against the dark."
To occupy this office is to feel a kinship with these and
other Presidents. Each of whom, in his own way, sought to do
right - -- and thus achieve good. // Each felt a sacred obligation
to serve the idea we call America. And each wondered, I suspect,
how they could be worthy of God, and man. //
This year, an estimated 1.3 million people will visit
Presidential museums and libraries. Exploring the lives of these
2
Presidents passed -- like oral history -- from one generation to
another. // They will see how each President is like a finely-
cut prism with many facets. Their achievements, and their
philosophy. Their family, and their humanity.
In Santa Barbara, for instance, visitors will soon see the
library of my distinguished predecessor, the 40th President of
the United States, and Mrs. Reagan. To Ronald Reagan, I say:
"We will not soon forget how you truly blessed America." //
Look, next, to Michigan -- where a museum and library honors
the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, and Mrs.
Ford. An entire Nation is grateful for your leadership and love
of country. / /
Tomorrow morning, the first visitors will enter the Library
and Birthplace of our 37th President They will note that only
FDR ran as many times as Richard Nixon -- five -- for national
office: Each winning four elections. And that more people voted
for Richard Nixon as President than any man in history. // They
will hear of Horatio Alger and Alger Hiss. Of the book, Six
Crises, and the seventh crisis, Watergate. // They will think of
Checkers -- Millie's role model. // And, yes, Mr. President,
your answer to my "Vision thing" -- "Let me make this perfectly
clear.' //
Many of these visitors will know of your times as President:
Perhaps as tumultuous as any since Lincoln's. And of your goal
as President: A world where peace would link the community of
nations. Yet other young visitors will not remember the years
3
1969-74, They had not even been born when Richard Nixon became
President. So to help them grasp our 37th President, here is
what I would tell those who journey to Yorba Linda.
I would say, first: Look at perhaps the truest index of
any man -- his family. Think of his mother -- a gentle Quaker -
- and his father, who built their small frame house less than 100
yards from here. And his daughters, Tricia and Julie. Any
parent would be proud of children with the loyalty and love of
these two women. // Think, finally, of a gracious First Lady who
ranks among the most admired woman of post-World War II America.
The woman we know, and love, as Pat. //
As First Lady, Pat Nixon championed the Right to Read
program, and brought the "Parks to People" program to the
disabled and disadvantaged. She refurbished the White House and
opened it to more Americans than ever before. She was our most
widely traveled First Lady -- visiting five continents and 22
Nations. Overcoming the poverty and tragedy of her childhood to
become a mirror of America's heart, and love. // When, in 1958,
foreign mobs stoned the Nixons' car, she was, a reporter said,
"stronger than any man. " Yet it was also Pat who moved pianist
Duke Ellington, at a White House dinner, to improvise a melody.
"I shall pick a name," he said, "gentle, graceful -- like
Patricia. // Mrs. Nixon, the Secret Service called you
"Starlight." Your husband has said it best: You "fit that name
to a T." //
4
Next, I would say to visitors here: Look at Richard Nixon
the man. 11 He had an intellectual's complexity. He was an
author / eight books 11 each composed on his famous yellow legal
pads 11 who, like his favorite author, Tolstoy, admired the
dignity of manual labor. He worked in the most pragmatic of
arenas -- yet insisted that "politics is poetry, not prose. " //
He believed in love of country, and God -- in loyalty to friends,
and protecting loved ones. He was also a soft touch when it came
to kids. // Believe me, I can empathize. //
( (Let me repeat a story which President Nixon himself
enjoys. // One day, greeting an airport crowd, he heard a young
girl shouting, "How is Smokey the Bear?" // at that time, living
in the Washington Zoo. The girl kept repeating the question.
Not understanding her words, the President turned to an aide for
translation. 11 "Smokey the Bear, the aide mumbled, pointing to
the girl. "Washington National Zoo." // Triumphant, President
Nixon walked over, extended his hand, and said: "How do you do /
Miss Bear?") ) ///
Now, I'm not one to criticize verbal confusion. After all,
some say English is my only foreign language. // President Nixon
was merely being kind. Just as he mailed hand-written letters to
defeated rivals like his dear friend Hubert Humphrey. Or saw
that when the POWS returned home in early '73 to a White House
Dinner, each wife received a corsage. // Richard Nixon was
extraordinarily controversial. He could also be uncommonly
sensitive to the feelings of other people. //
5
This brings me to what I would next tell those who travel to
Yorba Linda. What President Nixon said of Dwight Eisenhower in a
1969 eulogy was true, also, of himself: He "came from the heart
of America." Not geographically, perhaps, but culturally. 11
Richard Nixon was the quintessence of Middle America, and
touched deep chords of response in millions of her citizens. As
President, upholding what he termed the "Silent Majority" from
Dallas to Davenport, Syracuse to Siler City. // He loved
America's good, quiet, decent people; he spoke for them; he
felt, deeply, on their behalf. // Theodore White would say:
"Middle America had been without a great leader for generations,
and in Richard Nixon it
elevated a man of talent and
ability. // For millions of Americans, this President became
something they had rarely known: A voice -- speaking loudly, and
eloquently, for their values and their dreams. //
Finally, and most importantly, I would say to visitors:
Richard Nixon helped change the course not only of America but of
the entire world. He believed in returning power to the people.
So he created revenue sharing. // And that young people should
be free to choose their futures. So Richard Nixon ended the
draft. // He helped the United States reach new horizons in
space and technology. Began a pioneering cancer initiative that
gave hope and life to millions. // He knew that the great
outdoors is precious, but fragile. So he created the
Environmental Protection Agency -- an historic step to help
preserve, and wisely use, our natural resources. //
6
All of tlhis Richard Nixon did. Yet he will be best
remembered for dedicating his life to the greatèst cause offered
any President -- the cause of peace among Nations. //
Richard Nixon believed that true peace means the triumph of
freedom -- not merely the absence of war. So he endured much in
his quest for "Peace With Honor" in Viet Nam. // Yet he also
understood America's special mission to end the brutality of war.
So he engaged in diplomatic summitry -- and helped change the
post-war bi-polar globe. //
Who can forget how in Moscow, President Nixon signed the
first agreement of the nuclear age to protect our environment and
limit strategic nuclear arms? // or how he planted the first
fragile seeds of peace in the Middle East: Golda Meir credited
him with saving Israel during the Yom Kippur War. // Even now,
memories resound of President Nixon's trip to China -- the week
that revolutionized the world. No American President had ever
stood on the soil of the People's Republic of China. As Richard
Nixon stepped onto the tarmac and extended his hand to Chou En-
lai, his vision ended more than two decades of isolation. //
"Being President," he often said, "is nothing compared with what
you can do as President." Mr. President, you worked with every
fiber of your being to help achieve "A Generation of Peace.' " //
Today, as the movement toward democracy sweeps our globe, you can
take great pride that history will call you one of its
architects.
7
There have been, literally, millions of words written about
Richard Nixon. But let me close with a passage from the
President himself. It comes from his first Inaugural Address --
January 20, 1969 -- where the new President spoke of how "the
greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker. "//
He began by noting that within the lifetime of most present,
mankind would celebrate a new year which occurs only once in a
thousand years -- the start of a new millennium. And that
America had the chance to "lead the world onto that high ground
of peace that man has dreamed of since the dawn of civilization."
Finally, Richard Nixon concluded: "If we succeeed,
generations to come will say of us that we helped make the world
safe for mankind. I believe the American people are ready to
answer this call." //
Mr. President, you helped America answer its "summons to
greatness. You made a difference for the Nation that you loved.
// Thank you for serving the cause of peace. And for believing
in -- and making real -- a touch of the American Dream. //
God bless you and your family. God bless America. And now,
it is my distinct pleasure and honor to introduce the 37th
President of the United States.
# # # #
(Smith/Garmey)
July 16, 1990
9 A.M.
NIX
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NIXON LIBRARY
YORBA LINDA, CALIFORNIA
THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1990
10:30 A.M.
President and Mrs. Nixon. How pleased I am to see you.
President and Mrs. Reagan, President and Mrs. Ford. Secretary
Mosbacher. Reverend Graham, Senior Members of the Nixon
Administration, Governor Deukmejian, Senator Wilson, Chief
Justice Burger, Vicky Carr. Those great American heroes -- our
Viet Nam Prisoners of War. Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Mr.
President, for that introduction. And to all of you, for the
privilege of helping to dedicate this beautiful Library of the
37th President of the United States.
To Lincoln, the Presidency helped play -- as he put it --
America's "mystic chords of memory." To TR, it meant the "bully
pulpit," reflecting America at her most vital. And it was Dwight
Eisenhower -- beloved Ike -- who described its power "to proclaim
anew our faith," and summon "lightness against the dark."
To occupy this office is to feel a kinship with these and
other Presidents. Each of whom, in his own way, sought to do
right -- and thus achieve good. // Each felt a sacred obligation
to serve the idea we call America. And each wondered, I suspect,
how they could be worthy of God, and man. //
This year, an estimated 1.5 million people will visit
Presidential museums and libraries. Exploring the lives of these
2
Presidents passed -- like oral history -- from one generation to
another. // They will see how each President is like a finely-
cut prism with many facets. Their achievements, and their
philosophy. Their family, and their humanity. 11
In Santa Barbara, for instance, visitors will soon see the
library of my distinguished predecessor, the 40th President of
the United States, and Mrs. Reagan. To Ronald Reagan, I say:
"We will not soon forget how you truly blessed America. " //
Look, next, to Michigan -- where a museum and library honors
the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, and Mrs.
Ford. An entire Nation is grateful for your leadership and love
of country. 11
Tomorrow morning, the first visitors will enter our newest
Presidential Library and Birthplace. They will note that only
FDR ran as many times as Richard Nixon -- five -- for national
office: Each winning four elections. And that more people voted
for Richard Nixon as President than any man in history. // They
will hear of Horatio Alger and Alger Hiss. of the book, Six
Crises, and the seventh crisis, Watergate. // They will think of
Checkers -- Millie's role model. // And, yes, Mr. President,
your answer to my "Vision thing" -- "Let me make this perfectly
clear. " //
Many of these visitors will know of your times as President:
Perhaps as tumultuous as any since Lincoln's. And of your goal
as President: A world where peace would link the community of
nations. Yet other young visitors will not remember the years
3
1969-74. They had not even been born when Richard Nixon became
President. So to help them understand our 37th President, here
is what I would tell those who journey to Yorba Linda. //
I would say, first: Look at perhaps the truest index of
any man -- his family. Think of his mother -- a gentle Quaker -
- and his father, who built their small frame house less than 100
yards from here. And his daughters, Tricia and Julie. Any
parent would be proud of children with the loyalty and love of
these two women. // Think, finally, of a gracious First Lady who
ranks among the most admired woman of post-World War II America.
The woman we know, and love, as Pat. //
As First Lady, Pat Nixon championed the Right to Read
program, and brought the "Parks to People" program to the
disabled and disadvantaged. She refurbished the White House and
opened it to more Americans than ever before. She was our most
widely traveled First Lady -- visiting five continents and 22
Nations. Overcoming the poverty and tragedy of her childhood to
become a mirror of America's heart, and love. // When, in 1958,
foreign mobs stoned the Nixons' car, she was, a reporter said,
"stronger than any man. " Yet it was also Pat who moved pianist
Duke Ellington, at a White House dinner, to improvise a melody.
"I shall pick a name, II he said, "gentle, graceful -- like
Patricia. " // Mrs. Nixon, the Secret Service called you
"Starlight." Your husband has said it best: You "fit that name
to a T. //
4
Next, I would say to visitors here: Look at Richard Nixon
the man. // He had an intellectual's complexity. He was an
author / eight books // each composed on his famous yellow legal
pads // who, like his favorite author, Tolstoy, admired the
dignity of manual labor. He worked in the most pragmatic of
arenas -- yet insisted that "politics is poetry, not prose. //
He believed in love of country, and God -- in loyalty to friends,
and protecting loved ones. He was also a soft touch when it came
to kids. // Believe me, I can empathize. 11
((Let me repeat a story which President Nixon himself
enjoys. 11 One day, greeting an airport crowd, he heard a young
girl shouting, "How is Smokey the Bear?" // at that time, living
in the Washington Zoo. The girl kept repeating the question.
Not understanding her words, the President turned to an aide for
translation. // "Smokey the Bear," the aide mumbled, pointing to
the girl. "Washington National Zoo." // Triumphant, President
Nixon walked over, extended his hand, and said: "How do you do /
Miss Bear?")) ///
Now, I'm not one to criticize verbal confusion. After all,
some say English is my only foreign language. // President Nixon
was merely being kind. Just as he mailed hand-written letters to
defeated rivals like his dear friend Hubert Humphrey. or saw
that when the POWS returned home in early '73 to a White House
Dinner, each wife received a corsage. // Richard Nixon was
extraordinarily controversial. He could also be uncommonly
sensitive to the feelings of other people. //
5
This brings me to what I would next tell those who travel to
Yorba Linda. What President Nixon said of Dwight Eisenhower in a
1969 eulogy was true, also, of himself: He "came from the heart
of America." Not geographically, perhaps, but culturally. //
Richard Nixon was the quintessence of Middle America, and
touched deep chords of response in millions of her citizens. As
President, upholding what he termed the "Silent Majority" from
Dallas to Davenport, Syracuse to Siler City. // He loved
America's good, quiet, decent people; he spoke for them; he
felt, deeply, on their behalf. // Theodore White would say:
"Middle America had been without a great leader for generations,
and in Richard Nixon it
elevated a man of talent and
ability. " // For millions of Americans, this President became
something they had rarely known: A voice -- speaking loudly, and
eloquently, for their values and their dreams. 11
Finally, and most importantly, I would say to visitors:
Richard Nixon helped change the course not only of America but of
the entire world. He believed in returning power to the people.
So he created revenue sharing. // And that young people should
be free to choose their futures. So Richard Nixon ended the
draft. // He helped the United States reach new horizons in
space and technology. Began a pioneering cancer initiative that
gave hope and life to millions. // He knew that the great
outdoors is precious, but fragile. So he created the
Environmental Protection Agency -- an historic step to help
preserve, and wisely use, our natural resources. //
6
All of this Richard Nixon did. Yet the most positive aspects
of his Presidency will relate to his dedicating his life to the
greatest cause offered any President -- the cause of peace among
Nations. //
Richard Nixon believed that true peace means the triumph of
freedom -- not merely the absence of war. So he endured much in
his quest for "Peace With Honor" in Viet Nam. 11 Yet he also
understood America's special mission to end the brutality of war.
So he engaged in diplomatic summitry -- and helped change the
post-war bi-polar globe. //
Who can forget how in Moscow, President Nixon signed the
first agreement of the nuclear age to protect our environment and
limit strategic nuclear arms? // or how he planted the first
fragile seeds of peace in the Middle East: Golda Meir credited
him with saving Israel during the Yom Kippur War. // Even now,
memories resound of President Nixon's trip to China -- the week
that revolutionized the world. No American President had ever
stood on the soil of the People's Republic of China. As Richard
Nixon stepped from Air Force One and extended his hand to Chou
En-lai, his vision ended more than two decades of isolation. //
"Being President," he often said, "is nothing compared with what
you can do as President." Mr. President, you worked with every
fiber of your being to help achieve "A Generation of Peace. //
Today, as the movement toward democracy sweeps our globe, you can
take great pride that history will say of you: "Here was a true
architect of peace."
7
There have been, literally, millions of words written about
Richard Nixon. But let me close with a passage from the
President himself. It comes from his first Inaugural Address --
January 20, 1969 -- where the new President spoke of how "the
greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker. '//
He began by noting that within the lifetime of most present,
mankind would celebrate a new year which occurs only once in a
thousand years -- the start of a new millennium. And that
America had the chance to "lead the world onto that high ground
of peace that man has dreamed of since the dawn of civilization."
Finally, Richard Nixon concluded: "If we succeeed,
generations to come will say of us that we helped make the world
safe for mankind. I believe the American people are ready to
answer this call. II //
Mr. President, you helped America answer its "summons to
greatness. " You made a difference for the Nation that you loved.
// Thank you for serving the cause of peace. And for believing
in -- and making real -- a touch of the American Dream. //
God bless you and your family. And now, it is my distinct
pleasure and honor to introduce the 37th President of the United
States.
# # # #
(Smith/Garmey)
July 16, 1990
9 A.M.
NIX
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: NIXON LIBRARY
YORBA LINDA, CALIFORNIA
THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1990
10:30 A.M.
President and Mrs. Nixon. How pleased I am to see you.
President and Mrs. Reagan, President and Mrs. Ford. Secretary
Mosbacher. Reverend Graham, Senior Members of the Nixon
Administration, Governor Deukmejian, Senator Wilson, Chief
Justice Burger, Vicky Carr. Those great American heroes -- our
Viet Nam Prisoners of War. Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Mr.
President, for that introduction. And to all of you, for the
privilege of helping to dedicate this beautiful Library of the
37th President of the United States.
To Lincoln, the Presidency helped play -- as he put it --
America's "mystic chords of memory." To TR, it meant the "bully
pulpit," reflecting America at her most vital. And it was Dwight
Eisenhower -- beloved Ike -- who described its power "to proclaim
anew our faith," and summon "lightness against the dark."
To occupy this office is to feel a kinship with these and
other Presidents. Each of whom, in his own way, sought to do
right -- and thus achieve good. // Each felt a sacred obligation
to serve the idea we call America. And each wondered, I suspect,
how they could be worthy of God, and man. //
This year, an estimated 1.5 million people will visit
Presidential museums and libraries. Exploring the lives of these
2
Presidents passed -- like oral history -- from one generation to
another. // They will see how each President is like a finely-
cut prism with many facets. Their achievements, and their
philosophy. Their family, and their humanity. //
In Santa Barbara, for instance, visitors will soon see the
library of my distinguished predecessor, the 40th President of
the United States, and Mrs. Reagan. To Ronald Reagan, I say:
"We will not soon forget how you truly blessed America. " //
Look, next, to Michigan -- where a museum and library honors
the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, and Mrs.
Ford. An entire Nation is grateful for your leadership and love
of country. //
Tomorrow morning, the first visitors will enter our newest
Presidential Library and Birthplace. They will note that only
FDR ran as many times as Richard Nixon -- five -- for national
office: Each winning four elections. And that more people voted
for Richard Nixon as President than any man in history. // They
will hear of Horatio Alger and Alger Hiss. of the book, Six
Crises, and the seventh crisis, Watergate. // They will think of
Checkers -- Millie's role model. // And, yes, Mr. President,
your answer to my "Vision thing" -- "Let me make this perfectly
clear. " //
Many of these visitors will know of your times as President:
Perhaps as tumultuous as any since Lincoln's. And of your goal
as President: A world where peace would link the community of
nations. Yet other young visitors will not remember the years
3
1969-74. They had not even been born when Richard Nixon became
President. So to help them understand our 37th President, here
is what I would tell those who journey to Yorba Linda. //
I would say, first: Look at perhaps the truest index of
any man -- his family. Think of his mother -- a gentle Quaker -
- and his father, who built their small frame house less than 100
yards from here. And his daughters, Tricia and Julie. Any
parent would be proud of children with the loyalty and love of
these two women. // Think, finally, of a gracious First Lady who
ranks among the most admired woman of post-World War II America.
The woman we know, and love, as Pat. //
As First Lady, Pat Nixon championed the Right to Read
program, and brought the "Parks to People" program to the
disabled and disadvantaged. She refurbished the White House and
opened it to more Americans than ever before. She was our most
widely traveled First Lady -- visiting five continents and 22
Nations. Overcoming the poverty and tragedy of her childhood to
become a mirror of America's heart, and love. // When, in 1958,
foreign mobs stoned the Nixons' car, she was, a reporter said,
"stronger than any man." Yet it was also Pat who moved pianist
Duke Ellington, at a White House dinner, to improvise a melody.
"I shall pick a name, " he said, "gentle, graceful -- like
Patricia. // Mrs. Nixon, the Secret Service called you
"Starlight." Your husband has said it best: You "fit that name
to a T." //
4
Next, I would say to visitors here: Look at Richard Nixon
the man. // He had an intellectual's complexity. He was an
author / eight books // each composed on his famous yellow legal
pads // who, like his favorite author, Tolstoy, admired the
dignity of manual labor. He worked in the most pragmatic of
arenas -- yet insisted that "politics is poetry, not prose.' //
He believed in love of country, and God -- in loyalty to friends,
and protecting loved ones. He was also a soft touch when it came
to kids. // Believe me, I can empathize. //
( (Let me repeat a story which President Nixon himself
enjoys. // One day, greeting an airport crowd, he heard a young
girl shouting, "How is Smokey the Bear?" // at that time, living
in the Washington Zoo. The girl kept repeating the question.
Not understanding her words, the President turned to an aide for
translation. // "Smokey the Bear," the aide mumbled, pointing to
the girl. "Washington National Zoo. " // Triumphant, President
Nixon walked over, extended his hand, and said: "How do you do /
Miss Bear?") ) ///
Now, I'm not one to criticize verbal confusion. After all,
some say English is my only foreign language. // President Nixon
was merely being kind. Just as he mailed hand-written letters to
defeated rivals like his dear friend Hubert Humphrey. or saw
that when the POWS returned home in early '73 to a White House
Dinner, each wife received a corsage. // Richard Nixon was
extraordinarily controversial. He could also be uncommonly
sensitive to the feelings of other people. //
5
This brings me to what I would next tell those who travel to
Yorba Linda. What President Nixon said of Dwight Eisenhower in a
1969 eulogy was true, also, of himself: He "came from the heart
of America." Not geographically, perhaps, but culturally. //
Richard Nixon was the quintessence of Middle America, and
touched deep chords of response in millions of her citizens. As
President, upholding what he termed the "Silent Majority" from
Dallas to Davenport, Syracuse to Siler City. // He loved
America's good, quiet, decent people; he spoke for them; he
felt, deeply, on their behalf. // Theodore White would say:
"Middle America had been without a great leader for generations,
and in Richard Nixon it
elevated a man of talent and
ability." // For millions of Americans, this President became
something they had rarely known: A voice -- speaking loudly, and
eloquently, for their values and their dreams. //
Finally, and most importantly, I would say to visitors:
Richard Nixon helped change the course not only of America but of
the entire world. He believed in returning power to the people.
So he created revenue sharing. // And that young people should
be free to choose their futures. So Richard Nixon ended the
draft. // He helped the United States reach new horizons in
space and technology. Began a pioneering cancer initiative that
gave hope and life to millions. // He knew that the great
outdoors is precious, but fragile. So he created the
Environmental Protection Agency -- an historic step to help
preserve, and wisely use, our natural resources. //
hisions in
6
All of this Richard Nixon did. Yet the most positive aspects
of his Presidency will relate to his dedicating his life to the
greatest cause offered any President -- the cause of peace among
Nations. //
Richard Nixon believed that true peace means the triumph of
freedom -- not merely the absence of war. So he endured much in
his quest for "Peace With Honor" in Viet Nam. // Yet he also
understood America's special mission to end the brutality of war.
So he engaged in diplomatic summitry -- and helped change the
post-war bi-polar globe. //
Who can forget how in Moscow, President Nixon signed the
first agreement of the nuclear age to protect our environment and
limit strategic nuclear arms? // or how he planted the first
fragile seeds of peace in the Middle East: Golda Meir credited
him with saving Israel during the Yom Kippur War. // Even now,
memories resound of President Nixon's trip to China -- the week
that revolutionized the world. No American President had ever
stood on the soil of the People's Republic of China. As Richard
Nixon stepped from Air Force One and extended his hand to Chou
En-lai, his vision ended more than two decades of isolation. //
"Being President," he often said, "is nothing compared with what
you can do as President." Mr. President, you worked with every
fiber of your being to help achieve "A Generation of Peace. " //
Today, as the movement toward democracy sweeps our globe, you can
take great pride that history will say of you: "Here was a true
architect of peace."
7
There have been, literally, millions of words written about
Richard Nixon. But let me close with a passage from the
President himself. It comes from his first Inaugural Address --
January 20, 1969 -- where the new President spoke of how "the
greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker. //
He began by noting that within the lifetime of most present,
mankind would celebrate a new year which occurs only once in a
thousand years -- the start of a new millennium. And that
America had the chance to "lead the world onto that high ground
of peace that man has dreamed of since the dawn of civilization."
Finally, Richard Nixon concluded: "If we succeeed,
generations to come will say of us that we helped make the world
safe for mankind. I believe the American people are ready to
answer this call. " 11
Mr. President, you helped America answer its "summons to
greatness. " You made a difference for the Nation that you loved.
// Thank you for serving the cause of peace. And for believing
in -- and making real -- a touch of the American Dream. //
God bless you and your family. And now, it is my distinct
pleasure and honor to introduce the 37th President of the United
States.
#
#
#
#
Asst Sec/ State
647-
0003
fn Inder Currencian
\
J
57847-
-
leffains- Bernard Chonson
Dr
3
asls
(former Carter Speecharder ?)
Al
W
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Anaheim, California)
For Immediate Release
July 19, 1990
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT GERALD FORD,
PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN,
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH
AND PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON
DURING DEDICATION OF NIXON LIBRARY
Yorba Linda, California
10:38 A.M. PDT
PRESIDENT FORD: Thank you very, very much, Governor
Deukmejian. Mr. President, Mr. President, Mr. President --
(laughter) -- if I've overlooked a president -- (laughter) -- will
you please stand up. (Laughter.) I'm, frankly, terrified that I
might botch up the protocol for first ladies, so I'll simply salute
Betty. (Applause.)
with great respect and tremendous admiration Barbara, Pat, Nancy and
long-time friends. Because our lives have been intertwined with the
Betty and I are delighted to be here, among so many
remarkable career of a native son of California, who was born in that
house right over there and who is sitting right here. So, you see,
you can come home again. (Applause.)
During World War II, the 37th and the 38th presidents of
the United States were wearing Navy lieutenant uniforms somewhere in
the South Pacific. But our courses never did converge. My first
meeting with Dick Nixon came in January of 1949 at the start of the
Dick Nixon was a veteran second-termer, already renowned as the
81st Congress. When I was sworn in as a freshman member, Congressman
nemesis of Alger Hiss. Quite frankly, you never really forget the
to the Congress.
senior members who treat you kindly and give you a hand when you come
Betty and Pat became good friends while their husbands
oftentimes neglected them in the pursuit of things that we thought
important -- very wrongly.
In 1951, as you may remember, Dick, I invited Senator
Nixon, who had meanwhile moved to the other body, to come to our
old Rowe Hotel; have his typical stem-winding, rock-and-sock-em
annual Lincoln Day Dinner in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He came to the
campaign speech. The only problem -- both the lights and the
with microphone went off at the climax of his speech. Dick passed it off
a joke. But despite the blackout, or despite the joke, I was
reelected to the last Republican House we have had in four decades.
was safe forever.
My guest was elected Vice President, and we all thought the Republic
But permit me a closing thought about the future. My best remembered
I could go on reminiscing -- Betty says I usually do.
under prophesy was to say in 1976 that Poland was not and would never be
As the domination of the Soviet Union. (Laughter and applause.)
glad. (Laughter and applause.) Because I personally felt the warmth
you all know, I took quite a bit of heat. But I said it and I'm
Krakow and longing for freedom of the Polish people in both Warsaw and
Security in Europe.
on my way to the Helsinki Conference on Cooperation and
the Poles after challenging Nikita Khrushchev to a test of which
I also recall Vice President Nixon's tumultous welcome by
system -- ours or theirs -- better produced the life, a good life for
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- 2 -
their citizens.
In Helsinki, I told the leaders of 33 European nations,
including the Soviet Union and its Eastern allies, that it took 11
years for the noble ideals and the brave hopes of our American
Declaration of Independence to be embodied as enforceable rights in
our Constitution; that peace was not'a piece of paper, nor the
results of promises made, but of promises kept. I warned Chairman
Brezhnev and the other signers that "we had better say what we mean
and mean what we say, or we will have the anger of our citizens to
answer."
Now, 15 years later, the future of Europe's freedom seems
much, much brighter. The collapse of communist economies and
peaceful reform of their political regimes appears irreversible. The
prospects for peace are better than at any time since the end of
World War II.
In 1945, the four presidents here today took off their
military uniforms, as did many of you in this audience, resolved to
preserve the hard-won peace through strength and freedom. Dick Nixon
and I, as members of the Congress, strongly supported President
Truman's Marshall Plan, his timely aid to Greece and Turkey, his firm
action against communist aggression in Korea, and his proposal for
NATO. Vice President Nixon supported President Eisenhower's
leadership for peace through the North Atlantic Alliance, as I did in
the House.
Later, Representative George Bush and I in the Congress,
Governor Reagan in California, and President Nixon in the White House
sought ways to bring an honorable end to the tragedy of Vietnam. We
all, in various responsibilities during the '70s and '80s, sought to
maintain and greatly strengthen America's leadership in the struggle
between freedom and repression. But the crucial point is this: and
so have all of you.
And so have the majority of Americans for the last 45
years. The American people have stood solidly for individual rights
and freedom for others. This is no time to rest on our oars. Rather
it is now the time to redouble our devotion to these enduring ideals.
It does not diminish the roles many others in our country
have played in the expansion of democratic freedoms to say that you,
Dick Nixon, have the gratitude of men and women everywhere who
cherish peace with liberty. Because you loved your country and
because you had the courage to serve, this day is a celebration
richly deserved by you and by Pat. (Applause.)
It is now my great pleasure and a special honor to
introduce an outstanding former First Lady, Mrs. Nancy Reagan.
(Applause.) Ladies and gentlemen, it's a very high honor and a very
great privilege for me to introduce the 40th President of the United
States, the honorable Ronald Reagan. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT REAGAN: Thank you. Thank you very much,
President Ford. Mr. President, Mrs. Bush; President and Mrs. Ford;
our very distinguished honorees, the 37th President of the United
States and Mrs. Nixon, and ladies and gentlemen.
Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking -- (laughter) --
I'll borrow a line from Henry VIII, who said to each of his six
wives, "I won't keep you long." (Laughter.) But I do want to say
how honored Nancy and I are to be part of this wonderful ceremony and
to share a few thoughts about a man who has been so important and
influential in history.
We're gathered here today to pay tribute to a man who has
been part of our lives for almost half a century, and to welcome to
California this presidential library which will tell the story of
this very special man and of his unique contribution to the cause of
world peace.
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- 3 -
Much has been written and said about Richard Nixon. Some
of it's even been true. (Laughter.) Journalists, historians,
political pundits and just plain folks will talk for decades about
his career and what it meant to our country and to the world. It
will come as no surprise to anyone here that there will always be a
good deal of debate about Richard Nixon.
Generally speaking, people in public life who take bold
steps, who make tough decisions, and who show great courage generate
controversy. Such is the fate of the man in the arena. But about
two points, there can be no debate. First, Richard Nixon is a
patriot. He is a man who has dedicated his life in service to a
country he deeply loves. He believes in America and the American
people. Since he was a young man and throughout his adult life,
Richard Nixon has worked not for his own well-being, but for the
betterment of our society.
During the time I served as Governor of California, Nancy
and I had the honor of representing President Nixon on several trips
abroad. We were always proud to be his emissary to other world
leaders and were always impressed by the deep respect they had for
President Nixon.
And that brings me to the second point: Richard Nixon is
a man who understands the world. He understands politics, power, and
the forces of history. Whether with Mao or Brezhnev, De Gaulle or
Gandhi, President Nixon was the first among equals. A man whose
foreign policy was universally acknowledged as brilliant.
Accomplishments of the Nixon foreign policy will go down
in history as truly great. I do not think it is an exaggeration to
say the world is a better place, a safer place because of Richard
Nixon. (Applause.)
We always knew that when President Nixon took his place
at the negotiating table the United States was represented by a man
whose knowledge was second to none. During my eight years in the
White House, I relied on his insight and wisdom, and I will always be
grateful for the benefit of his seasoned expertise. Even now, as a
former president, Richard Nixon continues to be a major player on the
world scene -- and that is as it should be.
I cannot conclude my remarks here without telling you how
happy Nancy and I are -- and I suspect I speak for all of us here
today to be with our very dear friend, Pat Nixon. (Applause.) A
loyal wife, a caring mother and grandmother, Pat Nixon was one of our
nation's most gracious first ladies. She was a superbly charming
hostess, whether in Washington or San Clemente. And she represented
our country splendidly when she traveled abroad. She is a true
unsung hero of the Nixon administration, and our country owes her a
great debt of gratitude. (Applause.)
Now, ladies and gentlemen, you've already done what I was
just going to ask you, and that was to join me now in a show of our
affection and appreciation for this very special lady. (Applause.)
And speaking of first ladies, it's a great delight to
share this stage today with our current First Lady, Barbara Bush, a
tireless crusader for literacy (applause) -- a compassionate and
of us proud. (Applause.)
gentle lady whose warmth has touched us all. Barbara is making all
Besides that, she's married to a friend of mine --
(laughter) -- who it is my high honor to introduce. Ladies and
gentlemen, the President of the United States. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you all very, very much. What a
wonderful reunion. And I am very proud to have been introduced to
this gathering by Ronald Reagan. I know how I got here. (Laughter.)
And I will always be grateful to him.
President Reagan is my mentor and my esteemed friend. (Applause.)
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But to President and Mrs. Nixon, Barbara and I are
delighted to be with you on this memorable day. My special greetings
to all my predecessors -- to President and Mrs. Reagan, to President
and Mrs. Ford to members of the Nixon family, who are right out
here; to Secretary Simon, who has done such a superb job on all of
this; to my current Secretary of Commerce Bob Mosbacher and, of
course, to our old friend, your own Governor George Deukmejian.
(Applause.) To all these Cabinet officials out here -- former
Secretary Haig and Secretary Schultz, and I'm told that Chief Justice
Warren Burger was there. All the senior members of the Nixon
administration. Of course, all of our friend, Reverend Billy Graham.
And Reverend Peale and Ambassador Moore, all the way from Ireland;
and Ambassador Annenberg, and Ambassador Zhu-qizhen of China,
welcome, sir. To Hugh Hewitt and Vicky Carr, and ladies and
gentlemen.
Thank you, Mr. President, once again, for that
introduction. (Applause.)
I'm not sure, President Reagan, whether it's you or me
that attracted this noise over here, but I remember as Vice
President, you had your share of this kind of attention. (Laughter.)
But let me just say to all of you, our thanks for the privilege of
helping to dedicate this beautiful library of the 37th President of
the United States of America.
To Lincoln, the presidency helped play as he put it --
"America's mystic chords of memory." Shall we wait just one minute?
And to Teddy Roosevelt, the presidency meant the "bully pulpit" --
calling on America's boundless energy. And it was Dwight Eisenhower,
beloved Ike, who described its power "to proclaim anew our faith" and
summon "lightness against the dark."
To occupy this office is to feel a kinship with these and
other presidents, each of whom in his own way sought to do right and,
thus, to achieve good. Each summoned the best from the idea we call
America, and each wondered, I suspect, how he could be worthy of God
and man.
This year, an estimated 1.5 million people will visit
presidential museums and libraries, exploring the lives of these
presidents, passed down, like oral history, from one generation to
another. And they will see how each president is like a finely-cut
prism with many facets their achievements and their philosophy;
their family and their humanity.
For instance, not far from here, as we've heard, visitors
will soon see the library of my distinguished predecessor, the 40th
President of the United States, and Mrs. Reagan. President Reagan,
we will not soon forget how you truly blessed America. (Applause.)
Look next to Michigan, where a museum and library honor
the 38th President of the United States Gerald Ford, and Mrs. Ford.
(Applause.) An entire nation is grateful for your decency, your
leadership and your love of country.
And tomorrow morning, the first visitors will enter our
newest presidential library, and they will note that only FDR ran as
many times as Richard Nixon -- five -- for national office. Each
winning four elections. And that more people voted for Richard Nixon
as President than any other man in history. (Applause.) They will
hear of Horatio Alger and Alger Hiss; of the book, Six Crises; and
the seventh crisis, Watergate; and they will think of Checkers --
Millie's role model. (Laughter.) And, yes, Mr. President, they will
hear again your answer to my "vision thing" -- "Let me make this
perfectly clear." (Laughter.)
And many of these visitors will know of your times as
President, perhaps as tumultuous as any since Lincoln's, and of your
goal as President -- a world where peace would link the Community of
Nations. And yet, others, young visitors, will not remember the
years 1969 to '74. They'd not even been born when Richard Nixon
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became President. So to help them understand our 37th President,
here is what I would tell those who journey to Yorba Linda.
I would say first, look at perhaps the truest index of
any man his family. Think of his mother, a gentle Quaker; and his
father who built their small frame house that we see less than 100
yards from here; and his daughters, Patricia and Julie. Any parent
would be proud of children with the loyalty and love of these two
women. (Applause.)
And think finally of a very gracious First Lady who ranks
among the most admired women of postwar America, the woman who we
know and love as Pat. (Applause.) As First Lady, we remember Pat
Nixon championed the Right To Read program; helped bring the Parks To
People program to the disadvantaged. She refurbished the White House
and opened it to more people than ever before. And she was widely --
she was our most widely-traveled First Lady, visiting five continents
and 22 nations, overcoming the poverty and tragedy of her childhood
to become a mirror of America's heart and love. And when, in 1958,
foreign mobs stoned the Nixon's car, she was, an observer said,
"stronger than any man." And yet, it was also Pat who moved pianist
Duke Ellington at a White House dinner to improvise the melody -- "I
shall pick a name," he said, "gentle, graceful, like Patricia."
Mrs. Nixon, the Secret Service called you "Starlight,"
and your husband has said it best: "You fit that name to a T." So
once again, I won't ask you to stand up again -- you've already done
it. But let us show our appreciation for the grace and the beauty
that Pat Nixon brought to the White House. (Applause.)
And then next I would say to visitors here, look at
Richard Nixon the man. He had an intellectual's complexity. Knowing
how you feel about some intellectuals, Mr. President, I don't mean tc
offend you. But (laughter) -- he was an author -- eight books
each composed on those famous yellow pads, who like his favorite
author, Tolstoy, admired the dignity of manual labor. And he worked
in the most pragmatic of arenas and yet insisted that politics is
poetry, not prose. And he believed in love of country and in God, in
loyalty to friends and protecting loved ones. And he was also a soft
that. touch when it came to the kids believe me, I can empathize with
Let me repeat a story which President Nixon, himself,
enjoys I hope he enjoys it. One day greeting an airport crowd he
heard a young girl shouting, "How is Smokey the Bear" -- and at that
time living in the Washington Zoo. And the girl kept repeating the
question. And not understanding her words, the President turned to
an aide for translation -- "Smokey the Bear," the aide mumbled
pointing to the girl, "Washington National Zoo." Triumphant,
do, Miss Bear." (Laughter.)
President Nixon walked over, extended his hand and said, "How do you
I'd be the last to criticize verbal confusion, after all
I confess some say English is my only foreign language. (Laughter.)
President Nixon, the point is he was merely being kind, just as he
mailed those handwritten letters to defeated rivals like his friend
Hubert Humphrey or saw that when the POWs returned home in early '73
to a White House dinner, each wife received a corsage.
he could also be uncommonly sensitive to the feelings of other
Just as Richard Nixon was extraordinarily controversial,
people. This brings me to what I would next tell those who travel to
Yorba Linda. What President Nixon said of Dwight Eisenhower in a '69
eulogy was true, also of himself -- "He came from the heart of
America, not geographically perhaps but culturally." And Richard
Nixon was the quintessence of middle America and touched deep chords
of response in millions of our citizens. As President, upholding
what he termed the "silent majority" from Dallas to Davenport and
And he spoke for them. He felt deeply on their behalf.
Syracuse to Siler City he loved America's good, quiet, decent people.
Teddy White, Theodore White, would say, "Middle America
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has been without a great leader for generations and in Richard Nixon
it elevated a man of talent and ability." For millions of Americans
this President became something they had rarely known -- a voice
speaking loudly and eloquently for those values, their values and
their dreams.
And finally, and most importantly, I would say to
visitors Richard Nixon helped changed the course, not only of America
but of the entire world. He believed in returning power to the
people; so he created revenue sharing. And that young people should
be free to choose their future; so Richard Nixon ended the draft.
And he helped the United States reach new horizons in space and
technology. He began a pioneering cancer initiative that gave hope
and life to millions. And he knew that the great outdoors is
precious but fragile and so he created the Environmental Protection
Agency, a historic step to help preserve and widely use our natural
resources. (Applause.)
And all of this Richard Nixon did and yet future
generations will remember him most, in my view, for dedicating his
life to the greatest cause offered any president -- the cause of
peace among nations. Who can forget how he endured much in his quest
for peace with honor in Vietnam. He knew that true peace means the
triumph of freedom, not merely the absence of war. And as President
he served this country's special mission to help those around the
world for whom America has always been a morning star of liberty.
Engaging in diplomatic summitry and helping change the post-war
bipolar globe.
Who can forget how in Moscow Richard Nixon signed the
first agreement to limit strategic nuclear arms, giving new hope to
the world for lasting peace. Or how he planted the first fragile
seeds of peace in the Middle East and Golda Meir, whose statue is
inside, credited him with saving Israel during the Yom Kippur War.
And even now, memories resound of President Nixon's trip to China --
the week that revolutionized the world. No American president had
ever stood on the soil of the People's Republic of China and as
President Nixon stepped from Air Force One and extended his hand to
Chou En Lai, his vision ended more than two decades of isolation.
"Being president," he often said, "is nothing compared
with what you can do as president." Mr. President, you worked with
every fiber of your being to help achieve a generation of peace. Anc
today as the movement toward democracy sweeps our globe, you can take
great personal pride that history will say of you here was a true
architect of peace. (Applause.)
Yes, there have been literally millions of words written
about this President. But let me close with a passage from the
President himself that comes from his first inaugural address,
January 20, 1969, where the new President spoke of how the greatest
honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker. And he began by
noting that within the lifetime of most present, mankind would
celebrate a new year which occurs only once in a thousand years --
the start of a new millennium. And that America had the chance to
lead the world onto that high ground of peace that man has dreamed of
since the dawn of civilization.
And finally, Richard Nixon concluded, "if we succeed
generations to come will say of us that we helped make the world safe
call," he said.
for mankind. I believe the American people are ready to answer this
Mr. President, you helped America answer its summons to
and your wonderful family. And now it is my honor, as President of
greatness. Thank you for serving the cause of peace. God bless you
the United States, to introduce the 37th President of the United
States, Richard M. Nixon. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT NIXON: Thank you. Mr. President, may I
express my deep appreciation for that much-too-generous introduction.
Over the past 44 years since I've been in public life, I have been
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introduced to literally thousands of audiences all over the world.
This is the first time I've ever been introduced by the President of
the United States. (Applause.) I express my appreciation to my
other colleagues, former presidents, for their gracious comments --
not only about me, but particularly about my wife, Pat. This is a
very special day for us.
I think that I speak for all of those in this great
audience today in expressing appreciation not only to President Bush
and Barbara Bush, but also to President Ford and President Reagan and
their ladies, that they are here today. This is a very special
occasion because there are four presidents here. But what makes it
even more special is that for the first time in the inauguration of a
library, four first ladies are here. (Applause.)
I think all of my colleagues would agree that there is no
more important a position for a career than a woman could have than
to be a first lady, the wife of the President of the United States.
Or as First Lady Barbara Bush might put it in the future, there could
be no more important career for a man than to be the husband of the
President of the United States. (Applause.)
I want to express appreciation to all of you who have
made this facility possible and to all of you who have come on this
day to participate in this ceremony with us. It's been a great day
for us, and it's one that we will always remember.
Over the past years, Pat and I have had the opportunity
to visit some wonderful places. We've been to Versailles, we've been
to Westminster, to the Kremlin, to the Great Wall of China, to Angkor
Wat in Cambodia. I must say that many of them were memorable
experiences -- all of them were, in fact. But nothing we have ever
seen matches this moment -- to be welcomed home again so warmly on
this day by our friends in Calfornia. (Applause.)
I hope all of you will have an opportunity to take a tour
of the library and, I hope that you will, when you see there, you
will share some of the things that my colleagues, the former
presidents, and President Bush have referred to. What you will see,
among other things, is a personal life -- the influence of a strong
family, of inspirational ministers, of great teachers. You will see
a political life -- running for Congress, running for the Senate,
running for governor, running for president three times. Won some,
lost some. All interesting. (Laughter and applause.) And you will
see, also, the life of a great nation -- 77 years of it. A period in
which we had unprecedented progress for the United States. And you
will see great leaders -- leaders who changed the world, who helped
to make the world what we have today.
Seeing those things will certainly be interesting. But
let me remind you that when you go through this library, I hope you
will remember that while the past is interesting, it is important
only insofar as it points the way to a better future. And that is
why we are here today, to talk about that better future. (Applause.)
As I look back over life, I can think what has happened
in the years since I was born in this little house 71 years ago. I
have many memories -- some of them good, some of them not so good.
But I do know that as far as that life is concerned, I am glad that i
had the opportunity to come from here and go as far as I have.
remember: what is important is what it tells us about the future.
Let me say that as far as the past is concerned, though,
My friend, Paul McCracken, from the University of
Michigan, sent me a little poem that graphically makes that point.
He said, "The lightning bug is brilliant, but it doesn't have a mind.
It travels through creation with its headlight on behind."
(Laughter.) And so as far as we're concerned, let us learn from the
past, but let us always keep our headlight on the road ahead.
Looking back over the years, when I think of what has
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happened in those 77 years, I remember that, 70 years ago in that
little house, I used to lie in bed, I'd hear a train whistle in the
middle of the night, and I would dream of places far away that I
hoped to visit someday. I never dreamed that I would ever have the
opportunity lifetime. to visit over 80 countries during the period of my
I must say that as far as those visits are concerned,
they taught me something. You will hear sometimes these days that
the United States is in decline, that we have seen our best days.
You will hear that the United States no longer has the means or the
will to play a great role in the world. Don't you believe it.
(Applause.)
I can tell you what I have found in my travels. In my
travels to other countries, I have found some people who like us. I
have found some people who have envy us. I have found some people
who hate us. But most of the people in the world know in their
hearts that without the leadership of the United States of America,
peace and freedom would not survive in the world. (Applause.)
It is our privilege to provide that leadership. That is
why I would trust that all of you here and all of you listening on
television and on radio would give President Bush your wholehearted
support as he works for that kind of leadership for the United States
of America. (Applause.)
This is not a burden to be borne grimly, but it's a great
challenge. Look at what the challenge is. I was born a year before
World War I began. And in my lifetime, more people were killed in
wars than in all the wars fought in the history of civilization
before the 20th century began. Our challenge today is looking ahead
to deal with that problem. The 20th century will be remembered as a
century of war. Our challenge is to help make the 21st century of
peace. (Applause.)
But peace is not our only goal. Our goal, also, is to
remember why we are here, what America really means to the world.
And so as we consider our challenges beyond peace, let history record
that we just did not save the world from communism, but that we
helped to make the world safe for freedom. That is the great
challenge for Americans today. (Applause.)
Let our goal be that all people in the world can enjoy
what most Americans enjoy the blessings of freedom, of justice, of
progress. That was a dream that was impossible in times past. But
because of recent developments, it is a dream that can now come true.
So with this challenge in mind, let us look also to where
we have been and where we are going. Às I look back on those years,
77 in all, but I remember that in the period of that time that I have
seen many things happen in the world. And I know that as I stand
here, that we are very fortunate as Americans to have played a role
in what has happened.
In 1971, after a White House state dinner, a splendid
musical group from California entertained the audience. At the
conclusion of the program, the chairman, or I should say, the leader
of the group asked to say a few words. He expressed appreciation for
being invited to appear at the White House. And then he concluded by
saying, "You know, it's a long way from Watts to the White House."
He was right. But let me tell you -- it's a long way from Yorba
Linda to the White House, too. (Applause.)
I have made that journey, and I want to see a country in
which every young American can have the opportunity to make that
journey. It doesn't mean that all will make it. We all can't be
president. We all can't be congressmen or senator or governors -- I
found that out. (Laughter.) But on the other hand, let us always
make sure for the young Americans that the road ahead is never
blocked by prejudice or ignorance or poverty. And that he or she can
go as hard as his or her talents will take them. That is the goal
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that we want for young Americans today. (Applause.)
Because there are so many young people here today, may I
add a word to you I believe in the American dream because I have
seen it come true in my own life. And I want you to know that as far
as you're concerned, I want your dreams to come true as well. You
will suffer disappointments in life and sometimes you will be very
discouraged. It is sad to lose. But the greatest sadness is to
travel through life without knowing either victory or defeat. Always
remember that only when during your lifetime you are involved in a
cause greater than yourself can you be truly true to yourself.
(Applause.)
So with those points in mind, may I leave also this
final thought. Remember that there couldn't be a better time to be
alive than now. There couldn't be a better country in which to be
born and in which to live than now because you hold the future in
your hands. (Applause.)
END
11:27 A.M. PDT
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Anaheim, California)
For Immediate Release
July 19, 1990
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT GERALD FORD,
PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN,
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH
AND PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON
DURING DEDICATION OF NIXON LIBRARY
Yorba Linda, California
10:38 A.M. PDT
PRESIDENT FORD: Thank you very, very much, Governor
Deukmejian. Mr. President, Mr. President, Mr. President --
(laughter) -- if I've overlooked a president -- (laughter) -- will
you please stand up. (Laughter.) I'm, frankly, terrified that I
might botch up the protocol for first ladies, so I'll simply salute
Betty. (Applause.)
with great respect and tremendous admiration Barbara, Pat, Nancy and
long-time friends. Because our lives have been intertwined with the
Betty and I are delighted to be here, among so many
remarkable career of a native son of California, who was born in that
house right over there and who is sitting right here. So, you see,
you can come home again. (Applause.)
the United States were wearing Navy lieutenant uniforms somewhere in
During World War II, the 37th and the 38th presidents of
the South Pacific. But our courses never did converge. My first
meeting with Dick Nixon came in January of 1949 at the start of the
Dick 81st Congress. When I was sworn in as a freshman member, Congressman
Nixon was a veteran second-termer, already renowned as the
nemesis of Alger Hiss. Quite frankly, you never really forget the
to senior members who treat you kindly and give you a hand when you come
the Congress.
Betty and Pat became good friends while their husbands
oftentimes neglected them in the pursuit of things that we thought
important -- very wrongly.
Nixon, who had meanwhile moved to the other body, to come to
In 1951, as you may remember, Dick, I invited Senator
old annual Lincoln Day Dinner in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He came our to the
Rowe Hotel; have his typical stem-winding, rock-and-sock-em
campaign speech. The only problem -- both the lights and the
with microphone went off at the climax of his speech. Dick passed it off
reelected a joke. But despite the blackout, or despite the joke, I
was safe forever.
My guest was elected Vice President, and we all thought the Republic
to the last Republican House we have had in four decades. was
But permit me a closing thought about the future. My best remembered
I could go on reminiscing Betty says I usually do.
under prophesy was to say in 1976 that Poland was not and would be
As the all domination of the Soviet Union. (Laughter and applause.) never
glad. you know, I took quite a bit of heat. But I said it and
Krakow and longing for freedom of the Polish people in both Warsaw and
(Laughter and applause.) Because I personally felt the warmth I'm
Security in Europe.
on my way to the Helsinki Conference on Cooperation and
system the Poles -- after challenging Nikita Khrushchev to a test of which
I also recall Vice President Nixon's tumultous welcome by
ours or theirs -- better produced the life, a good life for
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their citizens.
including the Soviet Union and its Eastern allies, that it took nations, 11
In Helsinki, I told the leaders of 33 European
years for the noble ideals and the brave hopes of our American
our Declaration of Independence to be embodied as enforceable rights in
Constitution; that peace was not a piece of paper, nor the
and and the other signers that "we had better say what Chairman
Brezhnev results of promises made, but of promises kept. I warned
answer." mean what we say, or we will have the anger of our citizens we mean to
much, much brighter. The collapse of communist economies
Now, 15 years later, the future of Europe's freedom seems
World prospects War II. for peace are better than at any time since the end of
peaceful reform of their political regimes appears irreversible. and The
military uniforms, as did many of you in this audience, resolved their
In 1945, the four presidents here today took off
action Marshall Plan, his timely aid to Greece and Turkey, President his firm
Truman's I, as members of the Congress, strongly supported Dick
preserve and the hard-won peace through strength and freedom. Nixon to
NATO. against communist aggression in Korea, and his proposal for
the leadership House. for peace through the North Atlantic Alliance, as I did in
Vice President Nixon supported President Eisenhower's
Governor sought Reagan in California, and President Nixon in the White Congress,
Later, Representative George Bush and I in the
maintain various and responsibilities during the '70s and '80s, Vietnam. We
all, in ways to bring an honorable end to the tragedy of House
between freedom greatly strengthen America's leadership in the sought to
so have and repression. But the crucial point is this: struggle and
all of you.
And so have the majority of Americans for the
and years. freedom The American people have stood solidly for individual last 45
it is for others. This is no time to rest on rights
now the time to redouble our devotion to these our enduring oars. ideals. Rather
Dick have Nixon, played the expansion of democratic freedoms to our that country you,
It in does not diminish the roles many others in
because peace with liberty. Because you loved your everywhere who
cherish have the gratitude of men and women say
richly you had the courage to serve, this day is a celebration country and
deserved by you and by Pat. (Applause.)
introduce (Applause.) an outstanding former First Lady, Mrs. Nancy to
It is now my great pleasure and a special honor
great privilege Ladies for and gentlemen, it's a very high honor Reagan. and a
States, the me to introduce the 40th President of the United very
honorable Ronald Reagan. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT REAGAN: Thank you. Thank
States very and distinguished honorees, the 37th President of the Mrs. United
our President Ford. Mr. President, Mrs. Bush; President you and very much, Ford;
Mrs. Nixon, and ladies and gentlemen.
wives, I'll borrow "I a line from Henry VIII, who said to each -- of
Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking (laughter) --
how honored won't keep you long." (Laughter.) But I do his six
influential a few thoughts about a man who has been so important ceremony and
to share Nancy and I are to be part of this wonderful want to say and
in history.
California been part of our lives for almost half a century, and man who to
We're gathered here today to pay tribute to a has
this this presidential library which will tell to welcome
world very peace. special man and of his unique contribution to the the story cause of of
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Much has been written and said about Richard Nixon. Some
of it's even been true. (Laughter.) Journalists, historians,
political pundits and just plain folks will talk for decades about
his career and what it meant to our country and to the world. It
will come as no surprise to anyone here that there will always be a
good deal of debate about Richard Nixon.
Generally speaking, people in public life who take bold
steps, who make tough decisions, and who show great courage generate
controversy. Such is the fate of the man in the arena. But about
two points, there can be no debate. First, Richard Nixon is a
patriot. He is a man who has dedicated his life in service to a
country he deeply loves. He believes in America and the American
people. Since he was a young man and throughout his adult life,
Richard Nixon has worked not for his own well-being, but for the
betterment of our society.
During the time I served as Governor of California, Nancy
and I had the honor of representing President Nixon on several trips
abroad. We were always proud to be his emissary to other world
leaders and were always impressed by the deep respect they had for
President Nixon.
And that brings me to the second point: Richard Nixon is
a man who understands the world. He understands politics, power, and
the forces of history. Whether with Mao or Brezhnev, De Gaulle or
Gandhi, President Nixon was the first among equals. A man whose
foreign policy was universally acknowledged as brilliant.
Accomplishments of the Nixon foreign policy will go down
in history as truly great. I do not think it is an exaggeration to
say the world is a better place, a safer place because of Richard
Nixon. (Applause.)
We always knew that when President Nixon took his place
at the negotiating table the United States was represented by a man
whose knowledge was second to none. During my eight years in the
White House, I relied on his insight and wisdom, and I will always be
grateful for the benefit of his seasoned expertise. Even now, as a
former president, Richard Nixon continues to be a major player on the
world scene and that is as it should be.
I cannot conclude my remarks here without telling you how
happy Nancy and I are -- and I suspect I speak for all of us here
today -- to be with our very dear friend, Pat Nixon. (Applause.) A
loyal wife, a caring mother and grandmother, Pat Nixon was one of our
nation's most gracious first ladies. She was a superbly charming
hostess, whether in Washington or San Clemente. And she represented
our country splendidly when she traveled abroad. She is a true
unsung hero of the Nixon administration, and our country owes her a
great debt of gratitude. (Applause.)
Now, ladies and gentlemen, you've already done what I was
just going to ask you, and that was to join me now in a show of our
affection and appreciation for this very special lady. (Applause.)
And speaking of first ladies, it's a great delight to
share this stage today with our current First Lady, Barbara Bush, a
tireless crusader for literacy -- (applause) -- a compassionate and
of us proud. (Applause.)
gentle lady whose warmth has touched us all. Barbara is making all
Besides that, she's married to a friend of mine --
(laughter) -- who it is my high honor to introduce. Ladies and
gentlemen, the President of the United States. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you all very, very much. What a
wonderful reunion. And I am very proud to have been introduced to
this gathering by Ronald Reagan. I know how I got here. (Laughter.)
And I will always be grateful to him.
President Reagan is my mentor and my esteemed friend. (Applause.)
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But to President and Mrs. Nixon, Barbara and I are
delighted to be with you on this memorable day. My special greetings
to all my predecessors -- to President and Mrs. Reagan, to President
and Mrs. Ford -- to members of the Nixon family, who are right out
here; to Secretary Simon, who has done such a superb job on all of
this; to my current Secretary of Commerce Bob Mosbacher and, of
course, to our old friend, your own Governor George Deukmejian.
(Applause.) To all these Cabinet officials out here -- former
Secretary Haig and Secretary Schultz, and I'm told that Chief Justice
Warren Burger was there. All the senior members of the Nixon
administration. Of course, all of our friend, Reverend Billy Graham.
And Reverend Peale and Ambassador Moore, all the way from Ireland;
and Ambassador Annenberg, and Ambassador Zhu-qizhen of China,
welcome, sir. To Hugh Hewitt and Vicky Carr, and ladies and
gentlemen.
Thank you, Mr. President, once again, for that
introduction. (Applause.)
I'm not sure, President Reagan, whether it's you or me
that attracted this noise over here, but I remember as Vice
President, you had your share of this kind of attention. (Laughter.)
But let me just say to all of you, our thanks for the privilege of
helping to dedicate this beautiful library of the 37th President of
the United States of America.
To Lincoln, the presidency helped play -- as he put it --
"America's mystic chords of memory." Shall we wait just one minute?
And to Teddy Roosevelt, the presidency meant the "bully pulpit" ---
calling on America's boundless energy. And it was Dwight Eisenhower,
beloved Ike, who described its power "to proclaim anew our faith" and
summon "lightness against the dark."
To occupy this office is to feel a kinship with these and
other presidents, each of whom in his own way sought to do right and,
thus, to achieve good. Each summoned the best from the idea we call
America, and each wondered, I suspect, how he could be worthy of God
and man.
This year, an estimated 1.5 million people will visit
presidential museums and libraries, exploring the lives of these
presidents, passed down, like oral history, from one generation to
another. And they will see how each president is like a finely-cut
prism with many facets -- their achievements and their philosophy;
their family and their humanity.
For instance, not far from here, as we've heard, visitors
will soon see the library of my distinguished predecessor, the 40th
President of the United States, and Mrs. Reagan. President Reagan,
we will not soon forget how you truly blessed America. (Applause.)
Look next to Michigan, where a museum and library honor
the 38th President of the United States Gerald Ford, and Mrs. Ford.
(Applause.) An entire nation is grateful for your decency, your
leadership and your love of country.
And tomorrow morning, the first visitors will enter our
newest presidential library, and they will note that only FDR ran as
many times as Richard Nixon -- five -- for national office. Each
winning four elections. And that more people voted for Richard Nixon
as President than any other man in history. (Applause.) They will
hear of Horatio Alger and Alger Hiss; of the book, Six Crises; and
the seventh crisis, Watergate; and they will think of Checkers --
Millie's role model. (Laughter.) And, yes, Mr. President, they will
hear again your answer to my "vision thing" -- "Let me make this
perfectly clear." (Laughter.)
And many of these visitors will know of your times as
President, perhaps as tumultuous as any since Lincoln's, and of your
Nations. And yet, others, young visitors, will not remember the
goal as President -- a world where peace would link the Community of
years 1969 to '74. They'd not even been born when Richard Nixon
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became President. So to help them understand our 37th President,
here is what I would tell those who journey to Yorba Linda.
I would say first, look at perhaps the truest index of
any man -- his family. Think of his mother, a gentle Quaker; and his
father who built their small frame house that we see less than 100
yards from here; and his daughters, Patricia and Julie. Any parent
would be proud of children with the loyalty and love of these two
women. (Applause.)
And think finally of a very gracious First Lady who ranks
among the most admired women of postwar America, the woman who we
know and love as Pat. (Applause.) As First Lady, we remember Pat
Nixon championed the Right To Read program; helped bring the Parks To
People program to the disadvantaged. She refurbished the White House
and opened it to more people than ever before. And she was widely --
she was our most widely-traveled First Lady, visiting five continents
and 22 nations, overcoming the poverty and tragedy of her childhood
to become a mirror of America's heart and love. And when, in 1958,
foreign mobs stoned the Nixon's car, she was, an observer said,
"stronger than any man." And yet, it was also Pat who moved pianist
Duke Ellington at a White House dinner to improvise the melody -- "I
shall pick a name," he said, "gentle, graceful, like Patricia."
Mrs. Nixon, the Secret Service called you "Starlight,"
and your husband has said it best: "You fit that name to a T." So
once again, I won't ask you to stand up again -- you've already done
it. But let us show our appreciation for the grace and the beauty
that Pat Nixon brought to the White House. (Applause.)
And then next I would say to visitors here, look at
Richard Nixon the man. He had an intellectual's complexity. Knowing
how you feel about some intellectuals, Mr. President, I don't mean to
offend you. But -- (laughter) -- he was an author -- eight books
each composed on those famous yellow pads, who like his favorite
author, Tolstoy, admired the dignity of manual labor. And he worked
in the most pragmatic of arenas and yet insisted that politics is
poetry, not prose. And he believed in love of country and in God, in
loyalty to friends and protecting loved ones. And he was also a soft
that. touch when it came to the kids -- believe me, I can empathize with
Let me repeat a story which President Nixon, himself,
enjoys I hope he enjoys it. One day greeting an airport crowd he
heard a young girl shouting, "How is Smokey the Bear" -- and at that
time living in the Washington Zoo. And the girl kept repeating the
question. And not understanding her words, the President turned to
an aide for translation -- "Smokey the Bear," the aide mumbled
pointing to the girl, "Washington National Zoo." Triumphant,
do, Miss Bear." (Laughter.)
President Nixon walked over, extended his hand and said, "How do you
I'd be the last to criticize verbal confusion, after all
I confess some say English is my only foreign language. (Laughter.)
President Nixon, the point is he was merely being kind, just as he
mailed those handwritten letters to defeated rivals like his friend
Hubert Humphrey or saw that when the POWs returned home in early '73
to a White House dinner, each wife received a corsage.
Just as Richard Nixon was extraordinarily controversial,
he could also be uncommonly sensitive to the feelings of other
people. This brings me to what I would next tell those who travel to
Yorba Linda. What President Nixon said of Dwight Eisenhower in a '69
eulogy was true, also of himself -- "He came from the heart of
America, not geographically perhaps but culturally." And Richard
Nixon was the quintessence of middle America and touched deep chords
of response in millions of our citizens. As President, upholding
what he termed the "silent majority" from Dallas to Davenport and
And he spoke for them. He felt deeply on their behalf.
Syracuse to Siler City he loved America's good, quiet, decent people.
Teddy White, Theodore White, would say, "Middle America
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has been without a great leader for generations and in Richard Nixon
it elevated a man of talent and ability." For millions of Americans
this President became something they had rarely known -- a voice
speaking loudly and eloquently for those values, their values and
their dreams.
And finally, and most importantly, I would say to
visitors Richard Nixon helped changed the course, not only of America
but of the entire world. He believed in returning power to the
people; so he created revenue sharing. And that young people should
be free to choose their future; so Richard Nixon ended the draft.
And he helped the United States reach new horizons in space and
technology. He began a pioneering cancer initiative that gave hope
and life to millions. And he knew that the great outdoors is
precious but fragile and so he created the Environmental Protection
Agency, a historic step to help preserve and widely use our natural
resources. (Applause.)
And all of this Richard Nixon did and yet future
generations will remember him most, in my view, for dedicating his
life to the greatest cause offered any president -- the cause of
peace among nations. Who can forget how he endured much in his quest
for peace with honor in Vietnam. He knew that true peace means the
triumph of freedom, not merely the absence of war. And as President
he served this country's special mission to help those around the
world for whom America has always been a morning star of liberty.
Engaging in diplomatic summitry and helping change the post-war
bipolar globe.
Who can forget how in Moscow Richard Nixon signed the
first agreement to limit strategic nuclear arms, giving new hope to
the world for lasting peace. Or how he planted the first fragile
seeds of peace in the Middle East and Golda Meir, whose statue is
inside, credited him with saving Israel during the Yom Kippur War.
And even now, memories resound of President Nixon's trip to China --
the week that revolutionized the world. No American president had
ever stood on the soil of the People's Republic of China and as
President Nixon stepped from Air Force One and extended his hand to
Chou En Lai, his vision ended more than two decades of isolation.
"Being president," he often said, "is nothing compared
with what you can do as president." Mr. President, you worked with
every fiber of your being to help achieve a generation of peace. Anc
today as the movement toward democracy sweeps our globe, you can take
great personal pride that history will say of you here was a true
architect of peace. (Applause.)
Yes, there have been literally millions of words written
about this President. But let me close with a passage from the
President himself that comes from his first inaugural address,
January 20, 1969, where the new President spoke of how the greatest
honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker. And he began by
noting that within the lifetime of most present, mankind would
celebrate a new year which occurs only once in a thousand years --
the start of a new millennium. And that America had the chance to
lead the world onto that high ground of peace that man has dreamed of
since the dawn of civilization.
And finally, Richard Nixon concluded, "if we succeed
generations to come will say of us that we helped make the world safe
for mankind. I believe the American people are ready to answer this
call," he said.
Mr. President, you helped America answer its summons to
greatness. Thank you for serving the cause of peace. God bless you
and your wonderful family. And now it is my honor, as President of
the United States, to introduce the 37th President of the United
States, Richard M. Nixon. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT NIXON: Thank you. Mr. President, may I
express my deep appreciation for that much-too-generous introduction.
Over the past 44 years since I've been in public life, I have been
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introduced to literally thousands of audiences all over the world.
This is the first time I've ever been introduced by the President of
the United States. (Applause.) I express my appreciation to my
other colleagues, former presidents, for their gracious comments --
not only about me, but particularly about my wife, Pat. This is a
very special day for us.
I think that I speak for all of those in this great
audience today in expressing appreciation not only to President Bush
and Barbara Bush, but also to President Ford and President Reagan and
their ladies, that they are here today. This is a very special
occasion because there are four presidents here. But what makes it
even more special is that for the first time in the inauguration of a
library, four first ladies are here. (Applause.)
I think all of my colleagues would agree that there is no
more important a position for a career than a woman could have than
to be a first lady, the wife of the President of the United States.
Or as First Lady Barbara Bush might put it in the future, there could
be no more important career for a man than to be the husband of the
President of the United States. (Applause.)
I want to express appreciation to all of you who have
made this facility possible and to all of you who have come on this
day to participate in this ceremony with us. It's been a great day
for us, and it's one that we will always remember.
Over the past years, Pat and I have had the opportunity
to visit some wonderful places. We've been to Versailles, we've been
to Westminster, to the Kremlin, to the Great Wall of China, to Angkor
Wat in Cambodia. I must say that many of them were memorable
experiences -- all of them were, in fact. But nothing we have ever
seen matches this moment -- to be welcomed home again so warmly on
this day by our friends in Calfornia. (Applause.)
I hope all of you will have an opportunity to take a tour
of the library and, I hope that you will, when you see there, you
will share some of the things that my colleagues, the former
presidents, and President Bush have referred to. What you will see,
among other things, is a personal life -- the influence of a strong
family, of inspirational ministers, of great teachers. You will see
a political life -- running for Congress, running for the Senate,
running for governor, running for president three times. Won some,
lost some. All interesting. (Laughter and applause.) And you will
see, also, the life of a great nation -- 77 years of it. A period in
which we had unprecedented progress for the United States. And you
will see great leaders -- leaders who changed the world, who helped
to make the world what we have today.
Seeing those things will certainly be interesting. But
let me remind you that when you go through this library, I hope you
will remember that while the past is interesting, it is important
only insofar as it points the way to a better future. And that is
why we are here today, to talk about that better future. (Applause.)
in the years since I was born in this little house 71 years ago. I
As I look back over life, I can think what has happened
have many memories -- some of them good, some of them not so good.
But I do know that as far as that life is concerned, I am glad that i
had the opportunity to come from here and go as far as I have.
remember: what is important is what it tells us about the future.
Let me say that as far as the past is concerned, though,
My friend, Paul McCracken, from the University of
Michigan, sent me a little poem that graphically makes that point.
He said, "The lightning bug is brilliant, but it doesn't have a mind.
It travels through creation with its headlight on behind.'
past, but let us always keep our headlight on the road ahead.
(Laughter.) And so as far as we're concerned, let us learn from the
Looking back over the years, when I think of what has
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happened in those 77 years, I remember that, 70 years ago in that
little house, I used to lie in bed, I'd hear a train whistle in the
middle of the night, and I would dream of places far away that I
hoped to visit someday. I never dreamed that I would ever have the
opportunity to visit over 80 countries during the period of my
lifetime.
I must say that as far as those visits are concerned,
they taught me something. You will hear sometimes these days that
the United States is in decline, that we have seen our best days.
You will hear that the United States no longer has the means or the
will to play a great role in the world. Don't you believe it.
(Applause.)
I can tell you what I have found in my travels. In my
travels to other countries, I have found some people who like us. I
have found some people who have envy us. I have found some people
who hate us. But most of the people in the world know in their
hearts that without the leadership of the United States of America,
peace and freedom would not survive in the world. (Applause.)
It is our privilege to provide that leadership. That is
why I would trust that all of you here and all of you listening on
television and on radio would give President Bush your wholehearted
support as he works for that kind of leadership for the United States
of America. (Applause.)
This is not a burden to be borne grimly, but it's a great
challenge. Look at what the challenge is. I was born a year before
World War I began. And in my lifetime, more people were killed in
wars than in all the wars fought in the history of civilization
before the 20th century began. Our challenge today is looking ahead
to deal with that problem. The 20th century will be remembered as a
century of war. Our challenge is to help make the 21st century of
peace. (Applause.)
But peace is not our only goal. Our goal, also, is to
remember why we are here, what America really means to the world.
And so as we consider our challenges beyond peace, let history record
that we just did not save the world from communism, but that we
helped to make the world safe for freedom. That is the great
challenge for Americans today. (Applause.)
Let our goal be that all people in the world can enjoy
what most Americans enjoy -- the blessings of freedom, of justice, of
progress. That was a dream that was impossible in times past. But
because of recent developments, it is a dream that can now come true.
So with this challenge in mind, let us look also to where
we have been and where we are going. As I look back on those years,
77 in all, but I remember that in the period of that time that I have
seen many things happen in the world. And I know that as I stand
here, that we are very fortunate as Americans to have played a role
in what has happened.
In 1971, after a White House state dinner, a splendid
musical group from California entertained the audience. At the
conclusion of the program, the chairman, or I should say, the leader
of the group asked to say a few words. He expressed appreciation for
being invited to appear at the White House. And then he concluded by
saying, "You know, it's a long way from Watts to the White House."
He was right. But let me tell you -- it's a long way from Yorba
Linda to the White House, too. (Applause.)
I have made that journey, and I want to see a country in
which every young American can have the opportunity to make that
journey. It doesn't mean that all will make it. We all can't be
president. We all can't be congressmen or senator or governors -- I
found that out. (Laughter.) But on the other hand, let us always
make sure for the young Americans that the road ahead is never
blocked by prejudice or ignorance or poverty. And that he or she can
go as hard as his or her talents will take them. That is the goal
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that we want for young Americans today. (Applause.)
Because there are so many young people here today, may I
add a word to you I believe in the American dream because I have
seen it come true in my own life. And I want you to know that as far
as you're concerned, I want your dreams to come true as well. You
will suffer disappointments in life and sometimes you will be very
discouraged. It is sad to lose. But the greatest sadness is to
travel through life without knowing either victory or defeat. Always
remember that only when during your lifetime you are involved in a
cause greater than yourself can you be truly true to yourself.
(Applause.)
So with those points in mind, may I leave also this
final thought. Remember that there couldn't be a better time to be
alive than now. There couldn't be a better country in which to be
born and in which to live than now because you hold the future in
your hands. (Applause.)
END
11:27 A.M. PDT