LOS ANGELES (AP ) Timothy G. Elbourne, a former Nixon White
House aide who traveled widely preparing media coverage for the
president's historic 1972 journey to China and other trips, has
died. He was 65.
Elbourne died of natural causes Aug. 7 at his home in Idyllwild,
said Sandy Quinn, assistant director of the Richard Nixon Library &
Birthplace in Yorba Linda.
Elbourne was an advance assistant in Nixon's first
administration after working on the 1968 presidential campaign with
his former college roommate and Nixon press secretary Ronald
Ziegler.
He left in 1973 but briefly returned the following year to help
arrange a visit to Moscow. He made headlines when Soviet security
personnel mistakenly hustled him out of a tea for first lady Pat
Nixon.
According to an Associated Press report, he had been escorting
photographers to the tea when others in the room suddenly saw
Elbourne, ``a Russian on either side of him, being propelled across
the room.''
``I give up, I give up,'' Elbourne reportedly said before he was
released.
Born in Pomona and raised in Los Angeles' North Hollywood
section, Elbourne graduated from the University of Southern
California in 1961 and later worked for a public relations and
consulting firm on various political campaigns.
After leaving the White House, he became president of the new
Walt Disney Travel Co.
Elbourne helped with the 1990 opening of the Richard Nixon
Library & Birthplace and Nixon's funeral there in 1994.
He is survived by his wife, two daughters and four
grandchildren. His son died last year.
A memorial service for Elbourne will be held 4 p.m. Sunday at
the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace. Instead of flowers, the
family requests donations in Elbourne's name be made to the Maitri
Hospice in San Francisco.
Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)