 Richard Nixon (left) in 1993 with then-presidentBill Clinton (right), a year before his death. | |
| Location | Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum,Yorba Linda, California, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Organized by | PresidentBill Clinton |
| Participants | Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton Spiro Agnew Bob Dole Henry Kissinger Pete Wilson Sir Edward Heath Zou Jiahua Betty Ford Rosalynn Carter Nancy Reagan Barbara Bush Hillary Clinton George McGovern Charles Colson Alexander Haig Elliot Richardson |
On April 22, 1994,Richard Nixon, the 37thpresident of the United States and the 36thvice president, died after suffering a majorstroke four days earlier, at the age of 81.
His state[1] funeral was held five days later at theRichard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in his home town ofYorba Linda, California. He was the first former president to die in 21 years sinceLyndon B. Johnson in1973, duringNixon's presidency.
Nixon's wife,Pat, died on June 22, 1993. Just under ten months later, on April 18, 1994, at 5:45 p.m, Nixon had acerebrovascular accident at his home inPark Ridge, New Jersey, and was taken toNew York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center.[2] After an initial favorable prognosis, Nixon slipped into a deepcoma and died four days later at the age of 81. His body was flown toMarine Corps Air Station El Toro inOrange County, California, viaSAM 27000, the presidential plane used asAir Force One while Nixon was in office.[3] His body was transported to the Nixon Library and laid in repose. A public memorial service was held on April 27, attended by world dignitaries from 85 countries and all five living U.S. presidents.
Nixon's state funeral was unique among recent presidential state funerals in that, in accordance with his own wishes, none of the elements of the state ceremonies occurred in the nation's capital.[4][5]
Nixon suffered a significant stroke at hisPark Ridge,New Jersey home, while preparing to eat dinner on Monday, April 18, 1994, at 5:45 p.m. EDT.[6] An ambulance was called and he was taken toNew York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center. He was conscious but unable to speak, and his vision was impaired.[7] It was determined that a blood clot resulting from his heart condition had formed in his left atrium (upper heart), then broke off and traveled to his brain. His condition was determined to be stable the following day,[2] as he was alert but unable to speak or move his right arm and leg.[6] Nixon's prognosis was hopeful, and he was moved from theintensive care unit into a private room. His condition worsened that Tuesday night, however, complicated by symptoms ofcerebral edema, or swelling of the brain.[6] Nixon'sliving will stipulated that he was not to be placed on aventilator to sustain his life.[6] On Thursday, April 21, Nixon quickly sank into a deepcoma. The following night, he died at 9:08 p.m., April 22, 1994. He was 81 years old.[6][7] His daughters,Tricia andJulie, were by his side.[6] The Vander Plaat Funeral Home inWyckoff, New Jersey handled his funeral arrangements, just as they did for Pat Nixon.
U.S. PresidentBill Clinton announced Nixon's death in theWhite House Rose Garden and proclaimed anational day of mourning five days later. Clinton stated that Nixon was "a statesman who sought to build a lasting structure of peace" and praised his "desire to give something back to this world."[6] Clinton said that he was "deeply grateful to President Nixon for his wise counsel."[6] Tributes also came from the former presidentsGerald Ford,Jimmy Carter,Ronald Reagan andGeorge H. W. Bush.[6] The former secretary of stateHenry Kissinger, the former South Dakota SenatorGeorge McGovern (who ran against Nixon inthe 1972 presidential election), the former senatorHoward Baker, SenatorBob Dole, SenatorJohn McCain and SenatorTed Kennedy also reflected on Nixon's death.[6] Malaysian Prime MinisterMahathir Mohamad extended his condolences to Bill Clinton on the death of Nixon.[8]
Following the news of Nixon's death, tributes were placed at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library inYorba Linda,California, the site ofhis birthplace.[3] On April 26, the casket was placed intoVC-137C SAM 27000, a member of the presidential fleet used asAir Force One while Nixon was in office, and flown fromStewart Air Force Base inOrange County, New York, toMarine Corps Air Station El Toro,Orange County,California.[9][3] The body was transported in amotorcade, byhearse, to the Nixon Library.
Carried by eight militarypallbearers representing all branches of theUnited States military, Nixon's body was placed in the library lobby and lay in repose from the afternoon of Tuesday, April 26 to the afternoon of Wednesday, April 27.[3] Despite severe rain, police estimated that roughly 50,000 people waited in lines up to 18 hours to walk past the casket.[3]
The funeral service was held on Wednesday, April 27, on the grounds of the Nixon Library. The service was attended by over 4,000 people, including family members, PresidentBill Clinton and his wifeHillary, the former presidents and first ladiesGeorge andBarbara Bush,Ronald andNancy Reagan,Jimmy andRosalynn Carter, andGerald andBetty Ford.[3] The former vice presidentSpiro Agnew, who served with Nixon throughout most of his presidency, also attended along with the former vice presidentDan Quayle. The former first ladiesJacqueline Kennedy Onassis andLady Bird Johnson did not attend due to illness (Onassis died three weeks later from non-Hodgkin lymphoma). A congressional delegation consisting of over one hundred members was present, and a foreign diplomatic corps of over two hundred.[3] Other members of Nixon's administration who attended includedElliot Richardson,James R. Schlesinger,William P. Rogers,James Thomas Lynn,George W. Romney,Alexander Haig,Herbert Stein, andDaniel Patrick Moynihan. Other guests included Nixon's opponent in the 1972 electionGeorge McGovern,Charles Colson, who served time in prison due to his part in the Watergate Scandal,Robert Abplanalp,Bebe Rebozo, and California State Assembly SpeakerWillie Brown.[10]
International guests included:
United Nations: Secretary General of the United NationsBoutros Boutros-Ghali
People's Republic of China: Vice Premier of the People's Republic of ChinaZou Jiahua
Russia: Deputy Prime Minister of RussiaAlexander Shokhin
Canada: Minister of Foreign Affairs of CanadaLloyd Axworthy
United Kingdom: former Prime Minister of the United KingdomEdward Heath
France: former Foreign affairs Minister of FranceJean-Bernard Raimond
Japan: former Prime Minister of JapanToshiki Kaifu
Israel: former President of IsraelChaim HerzogThe service was officiated by the ReverendBilly Graham, a friend of Richard Nixon's, who called him "one of the most misunderstood men, and I think he was one of the greatest men of the century."[6] Eulogies were delivered by Graham,Henry Kissinger, SenatorBob Dole, California GovernorPete Wilson and President Clinton.[3] Dole could not hold back his tears at the end of his speech.[11]
Following the service, Nixon was buried beside his wife; Pat had died on June 22, 1993. They are buried only steps away fromRichard Nixon's birthplace and boyhood home.
It was Reagan's last major public appearance; his diagnosis ofAlzheimer's disease was announced later that year.[12] Reagan would become the next former president to die, ten years later,on June 5, 2004.
Media related toDeath and funeral of Richard Nixon at Wikimedia Commons
