Manuscripts for: Pat Nixon

 Nixon Presidential Materials , National Archives and Records Administration’s Office of Presidential Libraries , Archives II, College Park, Maryland
The following information is taken from this site.
Holdings include the historical materials of the Nixon Presidential Administration, 1969-1974. The collections include the textual records (approximately 40 million pages), the audiovisual records (500,000 photographs; 4,000 videotapes; 40 audiotapes; 950 White House tapes; and 1 million feet of motion picture film), and more than 30,000 gift items. Only a portion of this represents the record of Pat Nixon as First Lady.
--Textual Materials: About 2,237 cubic feet of textual materials is open, consisting of the White House Special Files and segments from the White House Subject Files, and the Staff Member and Office Files (SMOF's). Those which may relate to Pat Nixon include:
--Special Files: Staff Member and Office Files, Michael J. Farrell 1969-74 (1 cubic foot): Michael Farrell was responsible for arranging White House tours and other visitor related special events.
--President's Personal Files 1969-74 (65 cubic feet): The President's Personal Files were maintained by the President’s personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods. It includes transcripts of memoranda dictated by the President, correspondence with long-time supporters of the President, speech files, and social files.
--White House Central Files: Social Affairs 10 cubic feet: Materials filed under the subject category (SO) Social Affairs pertain to social events hosted by the President or members of his family. The terms Executive and General precede each of the SO file designations. They indicate the separation of documents according to source. The Executive files include official communications among national, foreign, state, and local governments, as well as special interest groups. The General items designate correspondence between government officials and private citizens. This sometimes includes petitions and requests for information on White House social affairs.
The SO files primarily contain letters, telegrams, memoranda, and schedule proposals. Also included are newspaper and magazine clippings, which have been withdrawn for preservation purposes while photocopies remain in the files.
Related subject categories include White House Special Files: PPF Social Entertainment Office and Social Events Series.
Materials filed under SO include briefings on administrative ceremonies, scenarios for the President's information (guest lists, etiquette, dress), information for the Military Social Aides, entertainment suggestions, and White House Worship Services. File headings include: Alcoholic Beverages Served in the White House, Breakfasts, Dinners, Luncheons, Mess, Receptions, and Teas-Garden Parties-Concerts.
--White House Central Files: Staff Member and Office Files, Gwendolyn B. King 6.6 cubic feet: The Gwendolyn B. King file group documents the activities of the First Lady's correspondence office from 1969 to 1974. The office was responsible for answering all mail received by Mrs. Nixon, Julie and David Eisenhower, and Tricia and Edward Cox. Mail addressed to the President and Mrs. Nixon was also handled by this office. Letters went out over the signature of Mrs. Nixon or Gwen King, depending on the nature of the incoming correspondence and the type of response decided upon. Aside from those drafted by Mrs. King, herself, letters were drafted by other members of the office, including Belinda Baltzell, Mary Austermiller, Diane Carroll and Nancy Nathan. Carbons drafted by these women have been segregated in the Correspondence File series.
The nature and volume of incoming mail often allowed the White House response to be in the form of an individually tailored form letter. Examples of these were kept for future reference, and are filed as Form Responses, alphabetically, by subject created. In addition, the Correspondence office distributed photographs, recipes and engraved greeting cards when these items were requested. A large segment of outgoing correspondence, answers to invitations sent to First Family members, is located in the Appointments Office files of Susan A. Porter.
One staff member under Mrs. King, Cynthia A. ("Cindy") Vanden Heuvel, evolved into a sort of personal secretary to the Eisenhowers and Coxes. Her records were segregated as the "Girl's Office." The nature of this sub-office was similar to that of the larger Correspondence Office. Letters were signed by members of the First Family and by Miss Vanden Heuvel. After the "CVH" Chronological File, the major subseries is the Wedding File, which provides background information on Julie's and Tricia's weddings. Most of the material dealing with the Nixon-Eisenhower marriage, however, has been withdrawn and returned to Mrs. Nixon since the event occurred before President Nixon assumed office. There are also binders of Form Responses, General Information, and Gift Logs for the Eisenhowers and Coxes present in this subseries.
Related Staff Member and Office Files collections that should be consulted include the files for Susan A. Porter, Helen M. Smith, Lucy A. Winchester, and the White House Social Files. Taped exit interviews with Constance C. Stuart, Penelope A. Adams, William R. Codus and notes from an interview with Coral F. Schmid will also prove informative. In addition, an oral history program is in progress which includes former members of the First Lady's staff.
--White House Central Files: Staff Member and Office Files, Susan A. Porter 17 cubic feet: The Susan A. Porter file group documents the activities of the First Lady's Appointments Office from 1969 through 1974, and is the first of the First Lady's office to be processed.
During the first administration (1969-73) the office was primarily run by Coral F. Schmid and Stephanie A. Wilson, under the guidance of Chief of Staff, Constance C. Stuart. Susan Porter took over the office on January 22, 1973 and continued as Appointments Secretary until the President's resignation in August 1974. The administrative changeover in 1973 is most clearly evident in the change in the filing arrangement in the Correspondence file series, from chronological in the first term to alphabetical in the second.
The Appointments Office was in charge of scheduling events for Mrs. Nixon, Julie and David Eisenhower and Tricia and Edward Cox. The office, in collaboration with First Family members, constructed the official calendars and responded to invitations from organizations and individuals desiring the presence of a member of the First Family at an event, or the use of their name as chairman or member of an organization.
The most important series in the collection are Scheduling and Activities, which provides a complete record of First Family events, calendars, and affiliations; and the Subject File, which deals with topics and projects of interest to the First Lady. Also of interest is the Invitations series, which includes extensive outgoing correspondence in answer to invitations received in the First Lady's office. The Briefing Books series, while potentially of great interest, contains much classified material and is mostly restricted at this time.
--Audiovisual Materials: The extensive photographic, film and video collection contained in the Nixon presidential materials has much material documenting the activities of Pat Nixon. Also available are audio recordings of Mrs. Nixon and Constance Stuart, taped by the White House Communications Agency. Most of the Nixon audiovisual materials are open to the public.
--White House Photo Office, 500,000 items 176 cubic feet: This file group consists of photographs taken by the official White House photographers or received by the White House Office during the Nixon administration. The photographs document the official activities of the Nixon administration, social events involving the First Family, the 1972 Presidential campaign, and the 1969 and 1973 inaugurations.
--White House Communications Agency (WHCA) File (1969-74) 320 cubic feet: This group of audio tapes contains addresses and remarks of President Nixon, selected speeches and remarks of Vice Presidents Agnew and Ford, selected speeches and remarks by the First Lady and other family members, selected speeches and remarks of Cabinet officials and members of the White House staff, and White House press briefings. Also included are the 1971 China Advance Trip telecommunications and the complete recorded broadcasts of the Watergate hearings of the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities (Ervin Committee).
--Naval Photographic Center, White House Film Unit Collection (1969-74) 362 cubic feet: The file group (an audiovisual segment of Record Group 428, General Records of the Department of the Navy) includes motion film coverage of selected official activities of President Nixon including diplomatic events, ceremonial occasions, speeches, foreign and domestic trips, and activities of the First Lady.
--White House Communications Agency Video Collection (1969-75), 4,087 videotapes 918 cubic feet: The file group consists of broadcast quality quadraplex videotapes comprising 3,900 hours of playing time. These productions are "off-the-air" recordings of commercial and Public Broadcasting Service network public affairs programming which WHCA recorded at the request of the President or members of the White House staff. Included are all televised public affairs programs, activities, documentaries, and weekly summaries of each major television network's morning and evening news programs.
--Main Video File (MVF) (1952-Present): The file group consists of video programs documenting the career and times of Richard Nixon as a public figure. There are 175 titles totalling 132 hours of programming. This is an on going program with newly recorded telecasts being routinely added to the file. Much of the material is copyrighted.
--Main Motion Film File (MFF) (1953-1974): The file group features Nixon domestic and foreign trips, political spots for various Nixon campaigns, films produced by government agencies, and educational films. Nixon speeches and press conferences, kinescopes of television broadcasts and newsreel footage.
--Main Audio File (MAF) (1950-1975): The file group contains 235 programs featuring speeches, press conferences, campaign activities, and interviews recorded at various times during Richard Nixon's career; sound recordings produced by government agencies during the Nixon Administration; and radio and television broadcasts. The finding aid is a listing with entries relating to subject matter, participants, date, geographic location, and applicable restrictions.

 

Richard Nixon Presidential Library, Yorba Linda, California
All of Mrs. Nixon pre-White House and post-White House materials are stored here, including her personal materials from her years as Second Lady (1953-1961), the 1960 Presidential campaign. Some materials have not yet been processed and are not yet available for research.

 

California State University, Fullerton Library, Fullerton, California
--The Richard M. Nixon Project, 1968-1971, 200 items: Transcripts of tape-recorded interviews directed by Harry P. Jeffrey with Milhous and Nixon family members, high school and college classmates of President and Mrs. Nixon, and residents of Fullerton, Whittier, and Yorba Linda, Calif., who knew them in their youth. Index in the repository.
Oral interviews include:
Adams, Muriel Taylor. "School Days at Excelsior High School." 14 April 1970.
Baron, Marietta M. "Pat Nixon and Excelsior High School." 5 June 1970.
Burnight, Ralph. "Pat Ryan Nixon as Student at Excelsior High School." 30 April 1970.
Gwinn, Louise Raine. "Pat Nixon: Childhood in Artesia." 3 June 1970.
Hodge, Marian Wilson. "Patricia Nixon: Ninth Grade Though Marriage as Told by a Former High School Vice-Principal." 15 May 1970.
Holloway, Heber. "Personal Relationships with Pat and Richard Nixon." 7 January 1971.
Myler, Leona Stine. "Pat Nixon: Grade School and High School." 13 May 1970.
Thomas, Madeline. "Pat Ryan [Nixon]: Junior High School Dramatics." 27 April 1970.
Waer, Ellen Holt. "Reminiscences of a Former Student of Pat Nixon’s." 18 June 1970.
Warren, Samuel G. "Pat Ryan as High School Advisor." 17 June 1970.

 

Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Washington, D.C.
--Edward Finch Cox Papers, six folders: Six folders of pictures, guest lists, passes, et al from the White House wedding of daughter Patricia to Edward F. Cox, June 12, 1971, Container MMC-2152
--Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Papers, two items: Two original letters signed by Richard Nixon, but representing both him and Pat Ryan Nixon; from 1950's, Container 29.
--Bess Furman Papers: file folder of articles and research on Pat Nixon as Second Lady and some materials on her during 1960 and 1968 campaigns.
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