Nixon library sheds new light on a intriguing President

Whenever my travels take me near one of the 13 libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration I visit. Presidential libraries are part library - since they house the papers of a former U.S. President - but also a museum of the period in which the president served. Presidents receive many gifts during their tenure and these are often displayed, some of them very curious.

Recently, I was in Southern California and stopped by the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda. While Nixon is not my favorite past president, I gained new respect for him and for his accomplishments.

One of the items displayed in the library was a yellow legal pad full of notes. The caption explained that as a law student, Nixon developed the habit of taking voluminous notes on such pads, a practice he continued all his life. I found this excerpt from his memoirs:

"After a small family party for my 52nd birthday, I sat in my study to look back on the past year and look ahead. I reflected that Winston Churchill had been in his mid-50s when he lost his position of leadership in the Commons in 1929, and most of his contemporaries had written him off as a political leader. But Churchill refused to write himself off. I took heart from the example. I wrote down some New Year's Resolutions: Set great goals; Daily rest; Brief vacations; Knowledge of all weaknesses; Better use of time; Begin writing book; Golf or some other kind of daily exercise. I put down my yellow pad, turned out the light, and stared into the fire. For the first time in seven years I started not only to think about running for the presidency again, but to think about where I should begin."

These goals were written in l965, five years after Nixon lost the presidential election to John Kennedy. This ability to assess the situation and try again, working harder and smarter, seems to have been a hallmark of the man.

One of Nixon's greatest accomplishments was his initiative to normalize relations with China. Nixon believed that foreign policy should be based on what was good for the U.S. He wanted to reach out to China because he believed China would be a good trading partner and also to drive a wedge between China and Russia. It was a bold move and one that continues to shape foreign policy today.

At the library's souvenir shop, I learned that one of the most sought-after souvenirs was a picture of Nixon and Elvis Presley. Apparently, Elvis wrote Nixon a six-page letter asking for the meeting and suggested that he be made a "Federal Agent-at-Large" in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. The meeting was held on Dec. 21, 1970. Among other gifts, Elvis presented the President with a Colt 45 pistol and family photographs; these were displayed in the library.

After his resignation on Aug. 9, 1974, Nixon went home to California. Reportedly, he was in shock and full of sadness. Later he had serious health issues. By l977 he was healthy again and working on a comeback. His famous interview with David Frost occurred that year. Later, Nixon wrote several books, advised presidents, and appeared on public programs. The high-water mark of his restoration was probably a 1986 Newsweek cover story titled, "He's Back: The Rehabilitation of Richard Nixon."

Nixon and his wife Pat are buried on the grounds of his presidential library. A lifelong Quaker, the inscription on Nixon's tombstone is: "The greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker."