Letter Accepting the Resignation of Herbert G. Klein as Director of Communications for the Executive Branch.
Dear Herb:
It is with deepest personal regret that I accept your resignation as Director of Communications for the Executive Branch, effective July 1, 1973, as you requested. I have known during the past year, of course, that you felt it necessary to leave Government in order to continue your career in the media, and I am grateful for your willingness to remain in your position beyond the deadline you had originally set.
Over the years, I have watched you grow professionally as a newsman and as a loyal friend, who has performed with utmost skill as an assistant to me, both in government and in my campaigns. I have long admired your skills and your loyalty, and it has come as no surprise to me that you have been so highly esteemed by both the media and by those of us in the Administration.
As Director of Communications, you have contributed enormously to improving communication skills within the government. You have traveled countless miles to meet with editors and broadcasters in all fifty states, discussing with them this Administration's approach to the problems of the day and of the future. You have ably represented me and our government in twenty-six countries, including all the nations of Indochina, the People's Republic of China, and the Soviet Union. Most importantly, you can look back on your term in office as one which achieved the vital goal of effectively informing the American people about their government. These accomplishments comprise a distinguished record of service to our Nation.
I am pleased to know that your new affiliation will take you back to our home state of California, and I feel certain that you will continue to make an important contribution there. Despite your departure from government, I hope we will maintain the same close association that has meant so much to me throughout the years.
Pat joins me in sending our warmest best wishes to Marge and to you for every success and happiness in the future.
Sincerely,
RICHARD NIXON
[Honorable Herbert G. Klein, Director of Communications, The White House, Washington, D.C.]
Note: Mr. Klein's letter of resignation, dated the same day and released with the President's letter, read as follows:
Dear Mr. President:
It was twenty-seven years ago when we first met in Alhambra, and throughout the almost three decades which now have passed, I have had a deep sense of appreciation for your friendship and a wholehearted admiration for your dedication to the service of our country.
These years have seen us together at some moments of bitter disappointment, but more often I've been fortunate enough to be with you at moments of triumph--to witness first hand your execution and development of decisions which have and continue to make history.
All these things make this the most difficult letter I have written, and yet, because of personal considerations, I request that you accept my resignation as Director of Communications for the Executive Branch, effective July 1, 1973.
As you have known, pressure has been building for me to return to private enterprise. I request this resignation with a continuous sense of loyalty to you and to the principles and programs you are building for this country.
I am convinced that your leadership will leave an indelible stamp on history, both internationally and domestically. It has been a privilege to have had some part in assisting you.
I am very proud to have been the first Director of Communications in United States history, and I honestly feel that we have been able to serve the American people well at a time when policies necessarily are so complex that efforts to provide more information are vital to the Government process.
I am grateful for the full support you have given me, which, I believe, has enabled us to bring the White House closer to the editors, publishers and broadcasters of the country. We have also improved the efficiency of Government departments--even while decreasing the size of their public information forces.
In these times, a President must communicate with the people if he is to govern successfully, and the size of your victory in November is proof of the public understanding of Presidential policy.
I wish you and your wonderful family continued success in working toward your goals for a better Nation and a peaceful world.
You can count on me to provide personal assistance to you or our Government at any time.
With all good wishes,
Sincerely,
HERBERT G. KLEIN
Director of Communications for the Executive Branch
[The Honorable Richard M. Nixon, The White House, Washington, D.C.]
Richard Nixon, Letter Accepting the Resignation of Herbert G. Klein as Director of Communications for the Executive Branch. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/255538