NICOLE ALBERTSON
Staff Writer
President’s Day. It is just one day, set aside on the third Monday of February, to remember and thank the leaders of our nation, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, in particular. However, the holiday is generally given little recognition by most of the public and passed by without a glance. But this Feb. 19, students and Malibu locals can celebrate the presidency in style by taking a rare trip on the President’s airplane at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
Covered with leather and detailed with fringe, the interior Air Force One lives up to the hype of beyond first-class travel. Jars of jelly beans can even be found hidden within the sleek plane. Boasting its own kitchen, dishwasher, stove, three bathrooms, two lounges, a press room and seating area, two computer databases and a private presidential office, Air Force One blows away any other charter jet to date.
A personal chef, photographer and eight-person security staff are also always on hand, ready to assist the president and guests with any possible need. It is no wonder why the jet is called the “flying White House.”
Unfortunately, this presidential plane is not for private use, nor will it be leaving its residence of more than three years, the Reagan Library, any time soon. The magnificent Boeing 707 has made itself a permanent home within the Air Force One Pavilion, and its nose points toward 60-foot-high ceiling-to-floor windows that frame the rolling mountains and crystal skies that surround the hilltop library.
The perfectly preserved plane, while slightly reminiscent of 80s-style interior decorating fashion, has catered to seven presidents and countless world leaders during its time in service, from 1973 to 2001. Air Force One, which came to the library in October 2005, is the main attraction for tourists yearning to learn about the multifaceted President Ronald Reagan.
Long before striking a pose for the camera and boarding Air Force One, the excitement begins with a tour of the Reagan Library, learning more about the man who was nicknamed “the great communicator” and devoured jelly beans at every stop.
But a presidential library does not exhibit many of the staple characteristics associated with libraries. There are research facilities on site, but the building is not dedicated to study halls and there are no librarians constantly whispering “Shhh!”
Unlike traditional libraries, the Reagan Library is more like a museum. The library guides visitors through the former president’s life, with a lesson in vintage fashion displayed by Nancy Reagan’s “first-lady” clothing, a stroll through a true-to-life replication of the oval office as it was decorated by Reagan, a trip on Air Force One and a stop at an Irish Pub.
For the studious or resourceful students and scholars, the Reagan Library is also known for its collection of Reagan’s speeches, audio and videotapes, photographs and administrative documents. All of the resources provided by the library are available to the public. They are allowed to be copied and scanned but not removed from the library. Reagan’s collection consists of more than 55 million pages in personal and administrative documents.
The library houses more than 1.6 million photographs, 25,000 video tapes and 670,000 feet of film depicting Reagan’s life, from Reagan’s radio broadcasting days to his turn as a Hollywood star to his governorship of California and to his presidency as the 40th Commander in Chief.
The library also has on display the many gifts Reagan received during his presidency. It is easy to use one’s imagination to think of all the precious and valuable gifts that someone in Reagan’s position would obtain, but expectations are wildly exceeded upon viewing the abundance of presidential presents.
A few of these extravagant gifts include more than 350 belt buckles, to complement his cowboy style; several antique firearms detailed with silver; gold sculptures; metallic trinkets; an iron tree flourishing mother of pearl leaves, and a portrait of himself composed entirely of the right wings of butterflies — get it, “right wings.”
There are things to look at outside the library’s walls too, where visitors can get some fresh air and take in the views. Next to the Air Force One Pavilion is a three-fourths scale replica of the White House Rose Garden releasing a fresh fragrant scent. As guests exit the library they see an actual piece of the Berlin Wall presented to Reagan in April 1990. And beyond that there is a reproduction of the White House South Lawn, which makes the perfect backdrop when coupled with a view of the Pacific Ocean on a clear day. Another military plane, the F-14 “Tomcat,” is also on display between the Presidential Learning Center and the Pavilion.
John Jones, professor of communication at Pepperdine, visits the Reagan Library for research in the archives and to enjoy the Ronald Reagan mementos throughout the museum.
“The displays are really fascinating,” Jones said. “Being able to walk on the plane where Ronald Reagan flew, see the booth of the restaurant where he proposed to Nancy, the 6,000 pound slab of the Berlin Wall — it’s just amazing to be able to see that.”
But the most interesting site of all, perhaps more so than Air Force One, is Ronald Reagan’s Memorial Site.
President Reagan’s was laid to rest at a memorial site on the library grounds after his death in 2004. The inscription on the memorial reads, “I know in my heart that man is good, that which is right will always eventually triumph and there is purpose and worth to each and every story.”
By the year’s end, Library officials estimate that more than 500,000 people will have enjoyed and made use of its facilities. Thirteen other presidential libraries have been built throughout the nation honoring presidents such as Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.
With a presidential library so close to campus, the Reagan Library makes the perfect location for a President’s Day trip. The library is wonderful place to relax and take in beautiful scenery all while learning about the presidency under Reagan.
“People flock to Simi Valley because of love and affection of Ronald Reagan,” Jones said. “More than the displays, it’s a memorial to a great man who did great things for a great country. It is like hollowed ground.”
The library is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission costs $12. For more information, visit the Web site at reaganlibrary.com.
02-15-2007