Kissinger Celebrated by the Nixon Foundation on his 95th
Former Secretary of State, Dr. Henry Kissinger, was celebrated and honored last night at a birthday party hosted by the Richard Nixon Foundation.
The celebration marked two significant milestones, Dr. Kissinger’s 95th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the year 1968 – a year that saw Richard Nixon elected President of the United States and RN’s selection of Dr. Kissinger as his National Security Advisor.
The party was held at the Neue Galerie in New York City.
Remarks and toasts were offered by President Nixon’s daughters Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Neue Galerie founder Ronald Lauder, Nixon Foundation Chairman Jim Cavanaugh, Nixon Foundation Board Members Fred Malek and Peter Simon, Nixon Foundation President Bill Baribault and President Nixon’s grandson Christopher Nixon Cox.
In her remarks, Tricia Nixon Cox recalled meeting Dr. Kissinger’s parents 45 years ago when the diplomat was named by President Nixon as the 56th Secretary of State.
“In their quiet way, it was obvious that they were incredibly moved by the occasion and very proud of their son,” said Tricia Nixon Cox.
“President Richard Nixon and that modest couple’s son…a history that includes the journey of peace across 16,000 miles and two decades of non communication to the People’s Republic of China, hard-headed détente with the Soviet Union, ending the Vietnam War with honor, and the nation-saving airlift to Israel during the Yom Kippur War,” she added.
“Historian and journalist Michael Barone said that there were three times in American History that the most perilous for presidents to come into all office,” said Julie Nixon Eisenhower. “First, Abraham Lincoln in 1861 with the civil war. second, Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933, when he stared into the abyss of the great depression. and then Richard Nixon in 1969, when there was violence in the streets, there were riots, there was unrest, there was war and a half a million — actually 550,000 young men — were fighting in Vietnam.” she added.
“The word that I would like to use to honor Henry Kissinger is the word courage. The courage to do what was right in Vietnam, the courage to take on risks for peace, the courage to be bold and fearless,” she added.
To cap off the evening, Dr. Kissinger stood and thanked his old friends with stories and remembrances of the 37th President.
“People ask me, ‘Of the 11 presidents you worked for in some capacity, whom do you consider the strongest?’” said Kissinger. “I have no hesitation. Richard Nixon was the most imaginative, the best prepared, and the most courageous,” he added.
Additional guests included Dr. Kissinger’s wife, Nancy, Monica Crowley, former Fox News contributor and Nixon aide; Barbara Hackman Franklin, former Secretary of Commerce; Winston Lord, former Ambassador to China; Hank Greenberg, Chairman of the Starr Foundation; Stephen Schwarzman, Chairman & CEO of Blackstone Group; Dr. Ming Hsieh, Founder of Cogent Systems and Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax Media.
The dinner was prepared by renowned Austrian cuisine chef and restaurateur Kurt Gutenbrunner.
The Neue Galerie New York is a museum of early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design located in the William Starr Miller House in New York City.
