The Ambassador of Goodwill

in Library & Foundation by Nixon Foundation — May 9, 2010 at 11:43 pm | 0 comments

The Pat Nixon Gallery is a walk-through of the life and times of one of America’s most popular and endearing First Ladies. Born in Ely, Nevada and raised during the Depression on a hardscrabble California farm, after college Pat traded a promising teaching career for political life as Richard Nixon’s indispensable partner. She was his most trusted advisor and, as First Lady, a globe-trotting ambassador of peace to 78 nations; she was the first First Lady to visit a war zone, the first to travel to Africa, China, and the Soviet Union, and the most widely traveled First Lady (until Hillary Rodham Clinton twenty-five years later). Photos of Mrs. Nixon growing up and later as First Lady hang on the walls, as awards presented to her are displayed in the glass cases. Continuously playing is a video highlighting her achievements and popularity with the American people.

Also displayed is a treasure case filled with priceless artifacts, jewelry, and other objects presented to Mrs. Nixon, including personal gifts from her husband and those of heads of state. The oldest item in the museum’s collection is displayed here, a Carnelian necklace with round and lotus-shaped beads, a gift from Golda Meir, the Prime Minister of Israel and dated to the 12^th to 11^th century BC.

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