4 Presidents Open Nixon’s Library

Flanked by Republican Presidents past and present, Richard M. Nixon triumphantly presided today over the dedication of his library, a monument built by his backers as a tribute to the former President, the nation’s only chief executive to resign from office.

“Over the past years, Pat and I have had the opportunity to visit some wonderful places,” Nixon said in an emotional address to more than 15,000 friends and supporters who packed the library grounds on a sunny morning. “But nothing we have ever seen matches this moment--to be welcomed home again so warmly on this day by our friends in California.”

Nixon smiled and nodded gently as Presidents Ronald Reagan, Gerald R. Ford and George Bush each paid glowing tribute to him, his Administration and his family.

There was only one direct reference to Watergate, the break-in and cover-up that forced Nixon from office. Bush--who as chairman of the Republican National Committee in 1974 urged Nixon to resign rather than face impeachment--alluded to the scandal only in passing, calling Watergate the “seventh crisis,” a reference to one of Nixon’s books, “Six Crises.”

Rather than dwell on the closing days of Nixon’s tenure, the Presidents showered him with praise for an Administration they said will be remembered for its domestic initiatives and particularly its foreign policy victories.

“Richard Nixon helped change the course not only of America but of the entire world,” Bush said in an address that was interrupted briefly by a protester. “You can take real pride that history will say of you: ‘Here was a true architect of peace.’ ”

Reagan, who called Nixon a “patriot” and a “man who understands politics,” said his foreign policy achievements have earned him a special place in history.

“The world is a better place, a safer place, because of Richard Nixon,” Reagan said.

Nixon’s moment of glory, 16 years after he resigned, came amid waves of emotion in his hometown of Yorba Linda. Thousands lined up outside the entrance to the dedication ceremonies, many having arrived before dawn.

Bleachers built to hold 2,000 people filled quickly, leaving the rest of the crowd to jostle for places in trees, in the library’s fountain and along the periphery of the grounds.

Among the legions who attended today’s ceremonies were a smattering of protesters. About 50 demonstrators, including AIDS activists, environmentalists and the disabled, picketed the entrance. Members of ACT UP Orange County, a group that lobbies for the rights of AIDS-infected people, stood in front of a building and chanted, “This should be a trial, not a celebration.”

“We’re disappointed Spiro (Agnew, Nixon’s vice president who resigned the office in 1973) isn’t here,” said demonstrator Bruce Mirken of Hollywood. “He’s just another criminal, he’d fit right in here.”

But the vast majority of those who came today did so to express their support for Nixon and to wish him well.