IT FALLS to few men in any generation to open up a totally new chapter in human history. Lewis L. Strauss, as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, was one of those few.
Under his direction, America began the crucial pioneering work of harnessing the atom for peaceful purposes. His vision and his leadership literally helped us to convert the most lethal of swords into the most promising of plowshares.
Lewis Strauss was a businessman of brilliance, a major philanthropist, an outstanding naval officer, and a superb public servant. But above all, Lewis Strauss was a trailblazer--a patriot who opened up new vistas and a new technology for America and the world.
Mrs. Nixon and I join with all our fellow citizens in mourning the passing of this outstanding American.
Note: Mr. Strauss, 77, died in Brandy Station, Va., on January 21, 1974. He was Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission from 1953 to 1958 and served as Acting Secretary of Commerce from 1958 to 1959.
Richard Nixon, Statement About the Death of Lewis L. Strauss Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/255636