June 7, 1963 - Former Vice President Richard M. Nixon bade farewell to California at a luncheon today but added that his heart will remain in his native state. Nixon and his wife Pat were honored at the Biltmore Hotel affair by 1,300 persons, including top officials of the city and county of Los Angeles and leading Republicans. Among those attending was Mayor Samuel Yorty, a Democrat, who said Nixon is “still the leader of the Republican party in the United States.” His remark brought a round of applause. In his speech, Mr. Nixon said he spoke “not as a Republican or future political candidate” but as an “American who has been in politics.” After touching on California’s past and future, Mr. Nixon spoke out against picketing by the Congress of Racial Equality of President Kennedy at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. “I agree with their right to express their views,” he said. “But when the President, Republican or Democrat, comes to our state, he is entitled to respect. I would hope the people of this state would receive him, welcome him, and not embarrass him.” The crowd was served a luncheon of cold cuts at $6 a plate, with the profits going for a color television stereo set for the Nixons’ apartment in New York, where they will be neighbors of Gov. Nelson Rockefeller.
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