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Nixon resigns from office. His successor Gerald Ford grants him a full pardon, but over 70 others are convicted of crimes.
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Related Links
NIXON
Learn more about Richard Nixon.
Gerald Ford
Meet the president who pardoned Nixon.
Resignation Speech
Nixon reviews his accomplishments.
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NARRATOR: On August 8, Nixon announced he would address the nation. Outside the White House, crowds gathered, watching, waiting.
Pres. NIXON: [August 8, 1974] I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body, but as president, I must put the interests of America first.
Therefore, I shall resign the presidency, effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford will be sworn in as president at that hour in this office.
NARRATOR: On August 9, the president bid farewell to the White House staff.
Pres. NIXON: [August 9, 1974] You are here to say goodbye to us and we don't have a good word for it in English. The best is au revoir. We'll see you again. [fighting tears] I had a little quote in the speech last night from TR. As you know, I like to read books.
I'm not educated, but I do read books. And there's another one I found as I was reading my last night in the White House. And this quote is about a young man. He was a young lawyer in New York. He'd married a beautiful girl and they had a lovely daughter. And then suddenly, she died. And this is what he wrote. This was in his diary. He said, "She was beautiful in face and form and lovelier still in spirit. As a flower, she grew and as a fairer young flower, she died. And when my heart's dearest died, the light went from my life forever." That was TR in his 20s. He thought the light had gone from his life forever, but he went on. And he not only became president, but as an ex-president, he served his country, always in the arena, tempestuous, strong, sometimes wrong, sometimes right, but he was a man.
It's only a beginning, always. The young must know it. The old must know it. Because the greatness comes not when things go always good for you, but the greatness comes and you're really tested when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes. Because only if you've been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.
Always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then, you destroy yourself.
NARRATOR: On September 8, 1974, President Gerald Ford granted Richard Nixon a full and absolute pardon. Over 70 others were found guilty of criminal acts and punished. The contradictions of Nixon's career -- his triumphs and defeats, grand vision and petty grievances -- have left their imprint on America, but his legacy remains ambiguous. "The judgment of history," Nixon has said, "depends on who writes it."
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