This picture is from the infamous 1970 meeting between President Nixon and Elvis Presley where Presley requested he be made a Federal Agent at large. The meeting was also kept secret for a couple of years. I can only imagine the media backlash if some top rapper stopped by to see Obama and asked to be a Federal Agent at large!You can read more about this meeting and view the "When Nixon Met Elvis" exhibit at the National Archives. They say that this picture is requested from the National Archives more than the Constitution or Bill of Rights!
If you want to order one of these Elvis pictures, then click this Elvis-Nixon order form to get further information about how to order. You will likely to have to find an approved vendor (which can be located on the aforementioned form) and have them go reproduce the photo for you.
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Press Release
December 21, 2009
When Nixon Met Elvis
National Archives Public Program Commemorates 75th Anniversary of Elvis Presley’s Birth
Washington, DC…December 21, 2009…Exactly 39 years ago today, a young man dressed in a black velvet jacket, adorned in gold chains and an oversized gold belt buckle presented himself at the northwest gate of the White House.
Elvis Presley, the most popular singer of his time, handed the White House security agents a handwritten letter addressed to the President of the United States, Richard Nixon, requesting a meeting with him. His five-page letter, written on American Airlines stationery, also indicated his desire to become a federal agent in the war on drugs and said, “P.S. . . I have a personal gift for you which I would like to present to you and I hope that you can accept it. . . ” The gift was a World War II-era Colt 45 pistol.
The letter set of a chain of events that eventually led to a meeting—within hours—between the “king of rock ‘n’ roll” and the “leader of the free world.” Security prevented Presley from presenting the President with the gun, but Nixon’s aides accepted it on his behalf, complete with some bullets.
At the meeting, pictures and detailed notes were taken. The photograph of Presley and Nixon, major figures in American culture and politics at the time, is still one of the most requested photographs from the National Archives’ holdings of 15 million images.
The famous meeting will be the highlight of a special event at the National Archives on Wednesday, January 6, 2010. Two eyewitnesses: Egil “Bud” Krogh, who was an Assistant to the Counsel to the President, and Jerry Schilling, a music industry professional and long-time friend of Presley will describe the encounter. The discussion, which is free and open to the public, will be moderated by Timothy Naftali, Director of the Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California and introduced by David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States.
The program commemorates the 75th anniversary of Presley’s birth on January 8; the next day is the 97th anniversary of Nixon’s birth.
The program will be held at 7 p.m. in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives. Admission is free. The McGowan Theater will open 30 minutes before the start of the program. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The public should use the Special Events Entrance to the National Archives, 7th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW.
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For more press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.
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