I FIRST MET Martin Luther King when, as Vice President, I headed the U.S. delegation to the ceremonies marking the independence of Ghana. While there, he and I began a conversation that ran long into the night. We talked about the new African nations, about war and peace, and about our country. We talked a long time about the problems of the races in America. Millions of Americans are observing Martin Luther King's birthday today. I remember Dr. King not only for his dream, but for his personal courage. That courage will remain as an inspiration to the Nation long after his dream becomes part of the reality of American life.
Note: The statement was read by Deputy Press Secretary Gerald L. Warren during a morning news briefing at the White House on January 15, 1971.
The ceremonies in Ghana, to which the President referred, took place March 3-7, 1957.
Richard Nixon, Statement on the Anniversary of the Birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/241233