Nixon Presidential Library Celebrates Inaugurations From George Washington to George...

Nixon Presidential Library Celebrates Inaugurations From George Washington to
George W. Bush

Special Exhibit "Called Upon By the Voice of My Country" Displays History of
the Nation's Most Cherished Ritual

YORBA LINDA, Calif., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When the next
president takes the oath of office on January 20, 2009, he will continue a
tradition that began with George Washington in 1789. To celebrate this ritual
of democracy, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum has created
"Called Upon By the Voice of My Country," an exhibit looking at the history
and the pageantry of presidential inaugurations. The exhibit will run from
October 30, 2008, until April 19, 2009.

The exhibit will bring together priceless artifacts including:
-- First Lady Laura Bush's 2005 inaugural gown, publicly displayed for
the first time, on loan from the White House;
-- A fan made for Sarah Polk, wife of James Polk, for the 1845
inauguration; and
-- A handwritten letter from George Washington to James Madison (himself
a
future president) arranging the first inauguration (held in the then
capital of New York City), in which Washington asks Madison to find
him
lodgings in "the style proper for the Chief Magistrate to live
in."

Visitors will also see five presidents' personal copies of inaugural
addresses, including the manuscript of the 1841 speech that killed William
Henry Harrison, who delivered the 8,500-word text in a snowstorm and died of
pneumonia a month later. Other inaugural speeches displayed in the exhibit
include:

-- Ronald Reagan's handwritten second inaugural address (1985);
-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt's stirring second inaugural address
("I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad,
ill-nourished," 1937) and his somber, wartime fourth inaugural
address (1945);
-- William J. Clinton's second inaugural address (1997); and
-- Richard Nixon's first inaugural address (1969).

The exhibit, which also commemorates the fortieth anniversary of Richard
Nixon's first inauguration, will also display inaugural programs, medallions,
menus, fans, statues, and posters from nearly every inaugural celebration in
history.

Visitors will learn about the pomp of inaugural balls, the dinner served to
Abraham Lincoln in 1865 (including calfsfoot and wine jelly, "almond sponge,"
terrapin stew, and tongue en gelee), and the rowdy 1828 inauguration of Andrew
Jackson that left the White House in tatters. The exhibit will also have a
special section for students where they can take the oath of office themselves
and learn fun facts about the presidents who "preceded" them.

"As Americans prepare to select a new president, this is the perfect time to
reflect on two hundred years of presidential beginnings," Nixon Presidential
Library director Timothy Naftali said.

The Nixon Presidential Library is open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5
p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and
New Year's Day). Located at 18001 Yorba Linda Boulevard, Yorba Linda,
California.

WHAT: Special exhibition on Presidential Inaugurals opening at the Richard
Nixon Presidential Library. Features more than 200 fascinating items -- from
First Lady Inaugural ball gowns, to an original letter written by George
Washington regarding lodging for his 1789 swearing in ceremony in New York
City.

WHEN: Opens to the public on Thursday, October 30. Runs through April 19,
2009.

Foundation member reception 6:30 pm, Oct. 30 with remarks by VIPs.

SOURCE Richard Nixon Library

Sandy Quinn, +1-714-364-1153, sandyquinn@earthlink.net, or Anthony Curtis,
+1-714-364-1199, anthony@nixonlibrary.org, both of the Richard Nixon Library