Accused of abusing presidential power for his role in the coverup of the Watergate scandal, Richard M. Nixon resigned from the presidency on August 8, 1974--the only president to resign from office. He was pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford, and spent the remaining twenty years of his life in the public eye, working tirelessly to rescue his reputation. In books, on radio, and in television interviews, Nixon reminded Americans of one of his administration's greatest achievements: the opening of diplomatic relations between the United States and China. By the time of his death in 1994, Nixon, for some Americans, had achieved the status of an elder statesman.