‘Nobody Has Lost Faith,’ John Wayne Wrote Nixon

The first 1.5 million pages of Richard Nixon’s presidential files were opened to the public today--offering words of encouragement from football coach George Allen, actress Zza Zsa Gabor and actor John Wayne.

There were some insights in the files released today but no major revelations about the nation’s most controversial presidency.

The National Archives, which up to now had been blocked by lawsuits in its attempts to make the papers public, has more than 40 million pages of Nixon files. The first batch covered subjects ranging from agriculture to utilities and included thousands of letters of support sent to Nixon during the Watergate scandal that finally drove him from office in 1974.

Many of the most controversial papers--memos from top aides on Watergate and the Vietnam War--were not among those released. The Archives would like to make those public next year if lawsuits by Nixon aides can be cleared up.

Among those who lent support to Nixon during the Watergate scandal were Cardinal Terence Cooke of New York, painter Andrew Wyeth, Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor and Christopher Bond, former Republican governor of Missouri who was elected to the Senate last month.

‘Nobody Has Lost Faith’

“Dear Sir, nobody has lost faith,” actor John Wayne said in a telegram to Nixon. In return was a letter from the President: “Dear Duke, it was good to receive your words of encouragement at this time.”

Cooke wrote Nixon to assure him of “my continued prayers in these difficult days” and in return received the same letter sent to hundreds of others that said in part, “I am especially grateful for your words of support at this particular time.”

“This too will pass,” said George Allen, then coach of the Washington Redskins, wrote Nixon, who faithfully followed the football team’s fortunes.

More than two dozen reporters jammed an Archives reading room to view the papers, packed in 1,800 gray file boxes, each four inches thick.

The quiet scene was in sharp contrast to that of May, 1980, when 75 reporters pushed and shoved to get first access to the Nixon White House tapes, including those that triggered his resignation Aug. 9, 1974.

Letters to Ervin, Sirica

Included in the documents released today were some famous Nixon letters, including those written to Sen. Sam Ervin (D-N.C.) and U.S. Judge John J. Sirica refusing subpoenas of White House tapes pertaining to Watergate.

“I cannot and will not consent to giving any investigatory body private presidential papers,” Nixon told Ervin, head of the Senate Watergate Committee in invoking executive privilege. The committee had subpoenaed several tapes, including five of meetings between Nixon and his White House counsel, John Dean.

“The President is not subject to compulsory process from the courts,” Nixon told Sirica.