    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
    [June 22, 1993]
    [Page 920]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Death of Pat Nixon
    June 22, 1993

        The Nation is deeply saddened today by the loss of former First Lady
    Pat Nixon.
        Patricia Ryan Nixon was a quiet pioneer whose concern for family and
    country will leave a lasting mark on history. Mrs. Nixon personified a
    deep reverence for the cherished American traditions of community
    service, voluntarism, and personal responsibility to one another.
        As First Lady, she was indeed a lady of ``firsts.'' She was the
    first First Lady to represent the President of the United States on an
    official overseas visit. She was the first incumbent First Lady to
    publicly support the equal rights amendment. And she was an early
    advocate of promoting a woman to the U.S. Supreme Court.
        While always dignified and gracious, Mrs. Nixon was also a
    passionate believer in volunteer service and the importance of Americans
    helping one another. The appearance of the White House today and its
    accessibility to visitors at special times each year owe themselves in
    large degree to her generous and creative efforts. During her first
    Thanksgiving as First Lady she invited 225 senior citizens from area
    nursing homes to the White House for a special meal. She invited
    hundreds of families to nondenominational Sunday services in the East
    Room. And she offered the White House as a meeting place for volunteer
    organizations dedicated to solving community problems.
        Mrs. Nixon, a mother of two, was also a loyal and steadfast believer
    in family. She traveled extensively with her husband across the Nation
    and abroad and was widely praised for her diplomatic gestures overseas.
    As she said in 1971, ``We've always been a team.'' We are heartened that
    former President Nixon and Mrs. Nixon were able to celebrate their 53d
    wedding anniversary yesterday. Our thoughts are with Mrs. Nixon's family
    today as we remember her many accomplishments and contributions to the
    Nation.