Elvis-Nixon Meeting Has Fans Shook Up

The meeting between two of the most improbable cultural icons of the 1970s lasted all of 30 minutes, but it has fascinated the nation for years.

A photo of a cloaked and bejeweled Elvis Presley solemnly shaking hands with a grim-faced President Nixon remains the No. 1 requested document from the National Archives, nearly four decades after the secret meeting took place on Dec. 21, 1970.

Now, on what would be the King’s 72nd birthday, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Birthplace is giving the curious public a good, long look at the relics of the coming together of The King and The President – and it’s got Elvis fans all shook up.

The free exhibit Monday includes the outfit Elvis wore (a black velvet overcoat, a gold-plated belt and black leather boots); Nixon’s outfit (a gray woolen suit, and size 11 1/2 black shoes); letters; and a World War II .45-caliber Colt revolver that Elvis gave to Nixon.

“The two of them together somehow is almost incomprehensible,” said Bud Krogh, Nixon’s former deputy counsel who set up the impromptu meeting that day 36 years ago. “The king of rock and the president of the United States shaking hands in the Oval Office doesn’t compute for a lot of people.”

The chain of events that led to the meeting began when a stretch limousine carrying Elvis pulled up outside the White House. One of his guards handed over a letter from Elvis addressed to Nixon requesting a meeting to discuss how the star could help Nixon fight drugs – including getting credentials as a “federal agent at large.”

“I will be here as long as it takes to get the credentials of a Federal Agent,” Elvis wrote. “I have done an in-depth study of drug abuse and Communist brainwashing techniques and I am right in the middle of the whole thing where I can and will do the most good.”

The Secret Service agents alerted Krogh. A self-confessed Elvis fan, Krogh met with Elvis, decided he was sincere and scrambled to get him into a noon meeting with Nixon.

About 2 1/2 hours later, Elvis walked into the Oval Office wearing his flamboyant outfit, as well as sunglasses and two huge medallions. But when Elvis entered the Oval Office, Krogh recalls, he froze.

“I think he was just awed by where he found himself. I ended up having to help him walk across over to the president’s desk,” he said.

Elvis and Nixon talked for about 30 minutes, during which Elvis showed Nixon pictures of his daughter and a pair of cufflinks given to him by Spiro Agnew. He also showed Nixon police badges from around the country and asked again for a badge from the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

Nixon agreed to give him the badge – but only after learning that the chief of the narcotics bureau had turned down the same request earlier that day and told him the only person who could overrule his decision was the president.

“Oh man, we were set up! But it was fun,” said Krogh. “He said all the right words about trying to do the right thing and I took him at his word, but I think he clearly wanted to get a badge and he knew the only way he was going to get it.”

At Elvis’ request, the meeting remained secret for more than a year – until The Washington Post broke the story on Jan. 27, 1972.

Since then, the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace has more than made up for Elvis’ ruse: T-shirts, cups, notepads and watches bearing the famous black-and-white photo remain the top-selling items at the museum’s gift shop.

“We’ve known for years that that photograph is an icon image,” said Sandy Quinn, the museum’s assistant director. “It is The President and The King.”

Instant noodle inventor dies at 96

Momofuku Ando, the founder-chairman of Nissin Food Products Co, who was widely known as the inventor of instant noodles, died of a heart failure this evening at a hospital in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, his family said. He was 96.

Born on March 5, 1910 in Taiwan, Ando initially ran clothing companies in Taipei and Osaka while he was a student at Ritsumeikan University. In 1948, he founded the precursor of Nissin, before introducing Chicken Ramen, the world’s first instant noodle product, in 1958.

Ando was inspired to develop the instant noodle after coming upon a long line of people on a cold night shortly after World War II waiting to buy freshly made ramen at a black market food stall, according to Nissin. The experience convinced him that “Peace will come to the world when the people have enough to eat,” it said.

In 1971, Nissin introduced the Cup Noodle, instant noodles in a waterproof styrofoam container that could be used to cook the noodles, ahead of his competitors.

Dubbed the Ramen King, Ando is credited with expanding Nissin into the No.1 company in the industry and was well-known for his dedication to his job.

Kei Kizugawa, head of the Kamigata Geino journal, said Ando was a great food product inventor whose accomplishment equals that of Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and known in Japan as the Father of Consumer Electronics.

“I believe generation after generation will talk about Chicken Ramen. I don’t think there will ever be an instant noodle product that beats the taste of Chicken Ramen,” Kizugawa said.

Ando became a chairman after handing over the presidency in 1981 to his eldest son, but came to double as the president again two years later after having a conflict over the company’s policy, including development of new products.

In 1999, Ando opened the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda after posting his second son, Koki, as the president.

Ando retired from chairman’s post in June 2005 to serve as founder-chairman.

In July 2005, Nissin introduced a vacuum packed instant noodle specially designed for Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi to eat during the US space shuttle Discovery’s mission.

Showcasing his Space Ram noodles in front of reporters, Ando said: “I’m happy I’ve realised my dream that noodles can go into space.”

It’s THE KING’S Birthday Week

In honor of Elvis Birthday Week, the music you are hearing are all either rehearsals or alternate takes….the tracks will play through Jan 13th….

Enjoy….