Existing comment:
Elliot Richardson, 1920-1999
Elliot Richardson was appointed attorney general in May 1973, at the height of the Department of Justice’s investigation of the Watergate scandal. Since the crimes involved people at high levels of the executive branch of the government, a special prosecutor was needed to ensure an unbiased investigation. Richardson, therefore, accepted the nomination with a promise to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the scandal on behalf of his agency.
In October, President Nixon’s refusal to hand over tape recordings to the special prosecutor, Archibald Cox, instigated the “Saturday Night Massacre.” On Saturday, October 20, 1973, Nixon ordered Richardson to fire Cox and to close the special prosecutor’s investigation. Richardson refused to comply with Nixon’s orders. Upon receiving Richardson’s resignation, Nixon declared, “Let it be on your head. I’m sorry you can’t put the nation’s interests above your own concerns.” Richardson responded, “I’d like to feel that what I’m doing is in the national interest.”
James Hill, 1971
Collection Description
In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection -- featuring prominent international figures and events -- enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context. |