An Unlikely Meeting of Minds : Celebrities: The king of rock ‘n’ roll and President Nixon having a casual chat in the Oval Office? Who would have thought it possible for Elvis Presley to drop in on the president?

The facts are absurdly simple: Elvis Presley drove up to the White House gate, handed over a letter addressed for the president’s eyes only, and a few hours later was holding an audience with Richard M. Nixon.

“You don’t plan a meeting like this,” said Egil “Bud” Krogh, a Nixon aide and the lone survivor of the full meeting between the king of rock ‘n’ roll and the president of the United States. “It just happens.”

It happened 25 years ago today, two days after Elvis stormed out of his Memphis mansion, Graceland, because he was tired of his father and wife hounding him over the $85,000 he spent on six Mercedes-Benzes and the $38,000 he spent on guns--all as Christmas presents.

“It’s my money,” Elvis told them in a boyish fit.

And then he did something he had never done before. He left. Alone. He boarded a commercial airline flight from Memphis to Washington, D.C.

There, he had second thoughts about doing this on his own. He called Jerry Schilling in Los Angeles and flew west to meet him.

On the flight back to Washington, Elvis wrote a six-page letter on American Airlines stationery requesting a meeting with the president--and delivered it first thing in the morning at the White House’s Northwest Gate. (See accompanying story on this page.)

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Dwight Chapin, a political strategist who knew what the president liked, red-tagged the letter to Krogh, which is to say he made it a high-priority message. Krogh got it five minutes later, about 8:50 a.m.

A veteran of Chapin’s practical jokes, Krough was skeptical.

He thought the handwriting was of grade-school quality, but it seemed incredibly sincere in its patriotic nature and offer “to be of any service that I can to help The Country out.”

“After looking at it, it seemed even beyond the skill of Dwight Chapin to fabricate such a letter,” said Krogh, who last year wrote the book “The Day Elvis Met Nixon” (Pejama Press), from notes he took that day--about four months before Nixon had the Oval Office bugged.

So Krogh, knowing the letter was either true or a sensational prank, bit on the invitation. He called the Washington Hotel and asked for “Jon Burrows,” Elvis Presley’s traveling alias.

Schilling answered the phone. Yes, Elvis could be there about 10 a.m. Elvis was not at the hotel, but was instead with John Finlator, deputy director of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Finlator was in the process of denying Elvis’ request for a federal agent’s badge.

Krogh began setting in motion the process by which someone meets the president. Among the things he needed was an OK from White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, who wrote on the memo from Chapin, “You must be kidding,” but approved anyway.

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Elvis arrived at 10:10 a.m. Krogh, set for a premeeting interview, couldn’t believe what Elvis wore.

Standard attire for male guests to the Nixon White House was black, dark gray or blue business suits with white shirts. It was not deep purple crushed velvet suits, silk shirts with high collars, heavy jewelry. And certainly not a cape.

“I love my country, and I care a lot about my family and friends,” Elvis told Krogh, Nixon’s top drug enforcement advisor. “I’d like to do what I can to help out.”

Despite Elvis’ abuse of prescription drugs leading up to his death in 1977, he denounced street drugs at every opportunity.

When their five-minute meeting ended, Krogh red-tagged another memo to Chapin, who called back right away. The meeting was a go.

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There was a last-minute hitch. Paul Duncan, the head of the president’s Secret Service detail, called Krogh at 11:45 a.m.

“We’ve got a little problem here,” Duncan said.

No one had said anything about a gun, the World War II chrome-plated Colt .45 with seven silver bullets inside a display case.

“I just thought the president would like to have a gun like that,” Elvis said. “It’s a real collector’s gun.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it,” Krogh told him. “A beautiful gift like that usually ends up being prominently displayed in the presidential library after the president leaves office.” (It’s on display as Exhibit 119 in the Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda.)

A short time later, the gun in the Secret Service’s possession, Krogh took Elvis to the Oval Office.

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Elvis paused at the door, observed the room, then walked hesitantly toward the president.

“He seemed to be awed if not overwhelmed by it all,” Krogh said.

Nixon got up from his desk. “It’s very good to meet you, Mr. Presley. I appreciate your offer to help us on the drug problem.”

Elvis didn’t respond, but just kept smiling.

Krogh chimed in, saying that Elvis felt he could reach a lot of young people through his music to help them stay off or get off drugs.

Finally, after some awkward silence, Elvis spoke: “Mr. President, thank you for seeing me. I’d like to show you some pictures of my family and some of my badges.”

Elvis stepped to Nixon’s desk and displayed pictures of himself, Priscilla and daughter Lisa Marie. He then showed the president some of the law enforcement badges he had collected. “I really support what our police have to do.”

Nixon agreed that the police “deserve all the support we can give them,” and suggested photographer Ollie Atkins take some photographs.

Nixon soon got to the heart of the meeting--at least from the administration end: “I think you can reach young people in a way no one in the government can,” he said. “It’s important that you keep your credibility.”

That credibility, Krogh said, meant not divulging the meeting; it benefited both men to keep their respective constituents in the dark.

“I can go right into a group of hippies and young people and be accepted,” Elvis said. “This can be real helpful.”

Again, Nixon warned Elvis: “Just be sure you don’t lose your credibility.”

Then Elvis went for the prize: “Mr. President, can you get me a badge from the Narcotics Bureau? I’ve been trying to get a badge from them for my collection.”

Nixon turned to Krogh. “Bud, can we get him a badge?”

Krogh couldn’t read into what Nixon wanted him to say. “Well, sir, if you want to give him a badge, I think we can get him one.”

Nixon nodded. “I’d like to do that. See that he gets one.”

Elvis was ecstatic and hugged the president. The move, uncommon in the Oval Office, caught Nixon by surprise. He responded with a pat on the shoulder.

Elvis gave Nixon his family photos, and mentioned that he “brought a gift . . . the Secret Service guy received it for you.”

Elvis picked up his badges and turned to go. Then, he turned back.

“Mr. President, would you have a little time just to say hello to my two friends. . . . It would mean a lot to them and to me.”

Schilling and another bodyguard, Sonny West, who had since joined them, were waiting in a side room and were ushered inside.

“They’re interested in helping you out, too,” Elvis told Nixon.

And for a third time, Nixon warned, “Just be sure you keep your credibility.” With that, he walked to his desk and pulled out some presidential seal tie clasps for Schilling and West. Elvis followed Nixon behind the desk and began rummaging through the drawer with him: “Remember, Mr. President, they’ve got wives.”

Pins, brooches, golf balls--all the goodies were laid out on the desk. Krogh figured they got about three of everything. The president then escorted them to the door. “Thank you very much, fellas,” Nixon said.

The three guests thanked the president, shook hands and stepped into the hall.

It was 1:05 p.m.

Elvis got the badge about an hour later. It became his most prized possession and he kept it with him at all times.

Incredibly, it was 13 months before the meeting became public.

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The White House summit was not the only exchange between Elvis and Nixon.

When Nixon entered the hospital in 1974 for phlebitis, Elvis called the ex-president. When Elvis was hospitalized for an impacted colon in January 1975, Nixon phoned.

“You could really see there was a meeting of the minds between these two guys who were at the top of their professions,” said Schilling, a film producer in Los Angeles. “The top is pretty lonely, no matter what profession you’re in.”

Krogh, who spent four months in prison for authorizing a 1971 covert operation related to the Pentagon Papers leak, now practices law in Seattle.

The foreword to his book served as the final link between the king of rock ‘n’ roll and the president of the United States.

In a letter dated April 14, 1994, eight days before Nixon died, the former president opened with the salutation, “To Fans of the King.”

Nixon wrote: “When we met in the Oval Office in December 1970, I was greatly impressed by Elvis’ sincerity as he described his concerns about the negative influences on young people during that turbulent era of the Vietnam War.”

Krogh said the meeting left him the most awed he has ever been.

“It was one of the most improbable things that ever happened in the White House,” Krogh said. “The odds are probably a million to one that anybody could drive up, hand a letter in to the president and have a meeting three hours later. It never happens.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Letter From a ‘King’ to a President

Dear Mr. President,

First, I would like to introduce myself. I am Elvis Presley and admire you and have great respect for your office. I talked to Vice President Agnew in Palm Springs three weeks ago and expressed my concern for our country. The drug culture, the hippie elements, the SDS, Black Panthers, etc. do not consider me as their enemy or as they call it The Establishment. I call it America and I love it. Sir, I can and will be of any service that I can to help The Country out. I have no concern or Motives other than helping the country out. So I wish not to be given a title or an appointed position. I can and will do more good if I were made a Federal Agent at Large and I will help out by doing it my way through my communications with people of all ages. First and foremost, I am an entertainer, but all I need is the Federal credentials. I am on this plane with Senator George Murphy and we have been discussing the problems that our country is faced with.

Sir, I am staying at the Washington Hotel, Room 505-506-507. I have two men who work with me by the name of Jerry Schilling and Sonny West. I am registered under the name Jon Burrows. I will be here for as long as it takes to get the credentials of a Federal Agent. I have done an in-depth study of drug abuse and Communist brainwashing techniques and I am right in the middle of the whole thing where I can do the most good.

I am Glad to help just so long as it is kept very Private. You can have your staff or whomever call me anytime today, tonight, or tomorrow. I was nominated this coming year one of America’s Ten Most Outstanding Young Men. That will be in January 18 in my home town of Memphis Tennessee. I am sending you the short autobiography about myself so you can better understand this approach. I would love to meet you to say hello if you’re not too busy.

Respectfully,

Elvis Presley

P.S. I believe that you, Sir, were one of the Top Ten Outstanding Men of America also.

I have a personal gift for you which I would like to present to you and you can accept it or I will keep it for you until you can take it.