In preparation for an interview with Jon Movroydis, Director of Communications of the Nixon Foundation, I began to search through the accumulated memorabilia, important documents, letters, memos, email copies, and yes, just plain junk that have cluttered my files, my basement, and my mind all these years. I wanted to refresh my memory (at my age, a full-time job) about the few years I was a member of the Nixon staff, both in the 1968 campaign and in the White House.

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“Think Mariah Carey is the queen of Christmas cheer? Think again.” MSNBC recently highlighted as a part of its BLTWY programming – a series of news, political, and entertainment stories and photographs – that the true Queen of Christmas was Pat Nixon, credited with introducing the most festive traditions of any First Lady.

There are some who will always treat our 37th president, Richard Nixon, with an asterisk. He was the first president in American history to resign in lieu of impeachment for his involvement in the Watergate affair. They will remember him for this, and ignore his achievements in foreign relations like the opening to China, the winding down of the...

When the Frost/Nixon interviews were turned into a major motion picture, my 23 year old daughter and her friends noticed – for the first time – some letters and autographs that I had received in my youth from President Nixon which remain framed in my library. They asked me questions ...

The Docents at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace had their annual “Refresher Course” on Saturday. Ron and I were both asked to speak. As you know, they are an amazing group of very knowledgeable and supportive representatives of the life and career of President Nixon. Many of them have told me that they love hearing our personal...

The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace has a bumper crop of kumquats. The six beautiful trees, three on each side of the reflecting pool, are loaded with the picture perfect fruit. Daughter Marja and I couldn’t resist. We harvested the little flavor-bombs to make kumquat marmalade. I tried hard to find the Nixon/Kumquat historical background,...

A special birthday party was held at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace yesterday. Over 3,400 Girl Scouts gathered to celebrate what would have been Pat Nixon’s 98th birthday, and what was the girl scouts 98th birthday. Both will be celebrated in even greater grandeur on their centennials. The theme this year was “Girl Scouts Go Green”....

The Nixon Alumni Club lost another valued member recently. Alexander Haig. Ron and I were proud to call Al and Pat Haig friends, and it got me to thinking about them both. Al’s career has been quite amazing. He was an aide to General Douglas MacArthur and Cyrus Vance, Secretary of the Army under President Kennedy, deputy national security advisor...

It was my privilege to be part of the Nixon Administration during the height of the Southeast Asian War, first as Director of Motion Pictures and Television of the United States Information Agency and later as Deputy Special Assistant to President Nixon. I was, therefore, able to witness a great man seek liberty for the people of Southeast Asia. My...

On January 9, President Nixon would have turned 97 years old. We are celebrating his Legacy in Yorba Linda. Earlier this month, the Richard Nixon Foundation, and the folks at the National Archives co-sponsored a panel discussion “Domestic Policy Initiatives of the Nixon Years: Bringing Innovation and Progress to the American People.” It...

The President’s facility in global matters was generally well known. But I was surprised by two demonstrations of RN’s remarkable memory, first during a June 1972 Oval Office meeting and again in 1975 after a meeting at San Clemente. In the summer of 1972, the President asked Special Assistant Patrick J. Buchanan and Staff Assistant Lyndon K....