THIS is indeed a very special day for the White House for reasons that have already been indicated, I am sure, by Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Johnson. And I don't know what they have said, so if I repeat, remember we didn't check beforehand.
All of us, of course, know the famous story of how this great painting of Washington, the only painting in the White House, until this one was acquired by loan, the only painting in the White House that was here before the White House in its present form, back in 1814 or so, was built, that it was saved by Dolley Madison.
And now finally to have this great portrait of Dolley Madison in this house brings us full circle and will remind us of the great historical tradition that those of us who live in this house, and those of us who visit it, and it belongs to all of us, this tradition that we share.
I would simply like to say that first, Dolley Madison, when we think of First Ladies, is always thought of as one of the great hostesses in all White House history. I am a bit prejudiced on that point myself. I think that we have in Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Nixon, two in the same league. I am very proud.
Note: The President spoke at 4: 34 p.m. in the East Room at the White House where he joined in the presentation ceremony presided over by Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson.
The portrait of President Madison, painted by John Vanderlyn in 1816, was purchased for the White House from Laurence Gouverneur Hoes of Washington, a great-great-grandson of President Madison, who attended the ceremony.
The portrait of Dolley Madison by Gilbert Stuart was loaned to the White House by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia.
Richard Nixon, Remarks at the Presentation of Portraits of James and Dolley Madison. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/239789
