Archives, Foundation share Nixon library space

Conflicts between the National Archives and the Richard Nixon Foundation regarding the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum--often described as Yorba Linda’s “crown jewel”--are well known, with disputes about exhibits and speakers told in many media accounts.

And the exit of Director Tim Naftali after a five-year effort to rebrand the library as a federal facility under the National Archives and Records Administration from its past status as a private institution run by the Nixon Foundation also attracted press attention.

I attended Naftali’s recent farewell “conversation,” in which he touched upon archives-foundation relations, noting in response to one question that disagreements were only “natural” due to the unique-among-Presidential-libraries beginnings as a private entity.

Naftali’s brief comment made me curious about the library’s division of responsibilities, since separate areas are controlled by the archives and the foundation, so I asked to see the archives-foundation agreement, which Deputy Director Paul Wormser e-mailed.

The 22-page pact, signed July 2007 by the United States Archivist and Nixon Foundation chair, painstakingly outlines the transfer, joint use and operational detail of buildings and grounds at the 8.4-acre site, once approved for condominiums by the City Council.

Basically, the archives controls about 62 percent of the building space, including the separate archive structure, and the foundation 38 percent, plus outside grounds areas.

Here are a few major agreement points:

--Archive-controlled areas include the museum exhibition galleries, auditorium, former lobby (now called the Great Room), the downstairs research room and other non-public areas, such as archival storage and processing rooms totaling about 70,000 square feet.

--Foundation-controlled areas include the grounds, including graves, birthplace cottage, helicopter, parking lot, as well as the lobby, gift shop, café, East Room and other space, about 43,000 square feet in the buildings.

--The parties can use each others’ areas for activities and programs, except the galleries are not available for event space or rental.

--Admission fees are collected by the foundation, but split 50-50 between the archives and foundation on a monthly basis. Both parties must agree to any changes in the fees.

--The gift shop is operated by the foundation, with some archive and Presidential library items available for sale, along with the stock provided by the foundation. Revenue from merchandise collaboratively developed for exhibits is divided between the parties, while “The foundation retains final authority over what is sold in the museum store.”

--Site security is provided by the archives, except the foundation pays for extra security needed for foundation activities and programs. Inside maintenance and utilities are split on a space ratio, but the archives handles roof and exterior wall upkeep.

Interestingly, if the National Archives “ceases to operate the Library Areas as a Presidential archival depository relating to the Presidency of Richard Nixon, the exclusive right granted” in the agreement “shall terminate and all rights and privileges…revert to the foundation.”