Administration of William J. Clinton, 1994 / Apr. 23 897

Message to the Congress on the Proclamation 6677—Announcing the Death of President Richard Nixon Death of Richard Milhous Nixon April 22, 1994 April 22, 1994 By the President of the United States To the Congress of the United States: of America It is my sad duty to inform you officially of the death of Richard Milhous Nixon, the A Proclamation thirty-seventh President of the United States. To the People of the United States: Born in 1913, he was first elected to the It is with deep sadness that I announce Congress in 1946, a member of that historic officially the death of Richard Milhous freshman class of World War II veterans that Nixon, the thirty-seventh President of the also included John F. Kennedy. He was United States, on April 22, 1994. elected to the Senate in 1950, and served A naval officer cited for meritorious serv- two terms as Vice President of the United ice in World War II, Richard Nixon has long States between 1953 and 1961. His career been a fixture in our national life. In a career in the Congress coincided with the great ex- of public service that spanned a quarter of pansion of the American middle class, when a century, he helped to shape American his- men and women from backgrounds as hum- tory. Before taking office as President in ble as his own secured the triumph of free- 1969, he served with distinction in the dom abroad and the promise of economic United States House of Representatives, in growth at home. the United States Senate, and as Vice Presi- He remained a visible presence in Amer- dent in the Eisenhower Administration. ican public life for over half a century. Yet From his early days in the Congress, through through all those years of service to his coun- his tenure in the White House, and through- try, in the military, in the Congress, in the out the two decades that have passed since Presidency, and beyond, he cherished his life he left office, he remained a fierce advocate as a private man, a family man. He was lov- for freedom and democracy around the ingly devoted to his wife, Pat, to their daugh- world. ters Patricia Cox and Julie Eisenhower, and Leaders in statecraft and students of inter- to his four grandchildren. national affairs will long look for guidance His lifetime and public career were inter- to President Nixon’s tremendous accomplish- twined with America’s rise as a world power. ments. His struggle to bridge the gaps be- His faith in America never wavered, from his tween the United States and the former So- famous ‘‘kitchen debate’’ with Soviet Premier viet Union—beginning in the famous ‘‘kitch- en debate’’ with Nikita Khrushchev and cul- Nikita Khrushchev through all of the debates minating with the de´tente of the early that followed. We Americans and our neigh- 1970s—helped to maintain the peace during bors abroad will always owe him a special a volatile era. Our improved relationship with debt for opening diplomatic doors to Beijing the Chinese people today has grown from and Moscow during his Presidency, and his President Nixon’s bold visit to China over 20 influence in world affairs will be felt for years years ago. And in the many books he wrote to come. more recently, he presented a cogent picture Richard Milhous Nixon lived the ‘‘Amer- of emerging global politics that will serve as ican Dream.’’ Now, he rests in peace. a guide for policy makers for years to come. President Nixon offered our Nation a great William J. Clinton many positive domestic initiatives as well. His The White House, work to clean up the environment, change our Nation’s welfare system, improve law en- April 22, 1994. forcement, and reform health care serves as an inspiration to us today as we seek to place NOTE: This message was released by the Office the ‘‘American Dream’’ within the grasp of of the Press Secretary on April 23. all of our citizens.

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In his book, In the Arena: A Memoir of [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, Victory, Defeat and Renewal, President 11:20 a.m., April 25, 1994] Nixon wrote, ‘‘I believe . . . that the rich- NOTE: This proclamation was released by the Of- ness of life is not measured by its length but fice of the Press Secretary on April 23, and it was by its breadth, its height and its depth.’’ This published in the Federal Register on April 26. is, indeed, a most fitting epitaph for his re- markable life. He suffered defeats that would have ended most political careers, yet he won Executive Order 12910—Providing stunning victories that many of the world’s for the Closing of Government most popular leaders have failed to attain. Departments and Agencies on April On this solemn day, we recognize the signifi- 27, 1994 cant value of his contributions to our Nation, April 23, 1994 and we pray that he left us with enough of his wisdom to guide us safely into the next By the authority vested in me as President century. by the Constitution and the laws of the Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, United States of America, it is hereby or- President of the United States of America, dered as follows: by the authority vested in me by the Con- Section 1. All executive departments, stitution and laws of the United States, in independent establishments, and other gov- tribute to the memory of President Nixon ernmental agencies, including their field and as an expression of public sorrow, do services, shall be closed on April 27, 1994, hereby direct that the flag of the United as a mark of respect for Richard Milhous States be displayed at half-staff at the White Nixon, the thirty-seventh President of the House and on all buildings, grounds, and United States. That day shall be considered naval vessels of the United States for a period as falling within the scope of 5 U.S.C. of 30 days from the day of his death. I also 6103(b), and of all statutes so far as they re- direct that for the same length of time the late to the compensation and leave of em- representatives of the United States in for- ployees of the United States. eign countries shall make similar arrange- Sec. 2. The first sentence of section 1 of ments for the display of the flag at half-staff this order shall not apply to those offices and over their Embassies, Legations, and other installations, or parts thereof, in the Depart- facilities abroad, including all military facili- ment of State, the Department of Defense, ties and stations. or other departments, independent establish- I hereby order that suitable honors be ren- ments, and governmental agencies that the dered by units of the Armed Forces under heads thereof determine should remain open orders of the Secretary of Defense on the for reasons of national security or defense day of the funeral. or other public reasons. I do further appoint the day of interment William J. Clinton to be a National Day of Mourning through- out the United States. I encourage the Amer- The White House, ican people to assemble on that day in their April 23, 1994. respective places of worship to pay homage [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, to the memory of President Nixon and to 11:21 a.m., April 25, 1994] seek God’s continued blessing on our land. I invite the people of the world who share NOTE: This Executive order was published in the our grief to join us in this solemn observance. Federal Register on April 26. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of April, in The President’s Radio Address the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the April 23, 1994 United States of America the two hundred Good morning. I’m happy to report to you and eighteenth. today that we’re closing in on a top priority William J. Clinton for the American people: winning a crime

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