YORBA LINDA : A Glimpse of Friendly Adversaries

Previously unreleased letters between Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy and the Kennedy family were unveiled Thursday at a bash for Nixon commemorating his 79th birthday at his library and birthplace.

The former President did not join the several hundred people who attended the opening of the exhibition of the private letters, which included a letter from Nixon to President Kennedy’s widow the day after her husband was assassinated in Dallas in 1963.

The “RN and JFK: Friendly Rivals” exhibit, according to Nixon library directors, was designed to document their little-known friendship, which they said existed despite their political differences and the epic 1960 presidential election, in which Kennedy defeated Nixon by a slim margin.

On hand for the party was Robert H. Finch, campaign manager of Nixon’s ill-fated bid in 1960, who spoke briefly to the audience regarding the Nixon-Kennedy relationship.

The main attractions were copies of private letters that had been kept in the National Archives in Washington over the past two decades. Each letter is framed and displayed on walls, along with explanations.

Nixon offered these condolences to Jacqueline Kennedy in a letter dated Nov. 23, 1963: “In this tragic hour Pat and I want you to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.

“While the hand of fate made Jack and me political opponents, I always cherished the fact that we were personal friends from the time we came to the Congress together in 1947.”

Weeks later, the widow responded: “You two young men--colleagues in Congress--adversaries in 1960--and now look what has happened. Whoever thought such a hideous thing could happen in this country . . . though I know his death could have been prevented, and I will never cease to torture myself with that.”

Most of the letters included congratulations at the births of children or expressions of appreciation for warm hospitality.