Diary Entry - 06/19/1984
Key Facts
President Reagan presents Bill Drennan, the President's military aide, with a medal for his service.
President Reagan meets with several members of his "California kitchen cabinet."
President Reagan participates in the dedication ceremony for the new National Geographic Society's building.
Started the day with a Grp. Cong. leadership meeting. Agenda dealt with our down payment plan on the deficit, Central Am. & the Defense appropriations. Democrats are giving us trouble on all three. N.S.C. briefing then over to the new Nat. Geographic bldg. I spoke at it’s dedication—a nice affair. Jeanne Kirkpatrick came by to report on her Asian trip. She says the Chinese were greatly impressed by our visit there. Like me she believes P.M. Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore is truly a great statesman. Then out to the S. Lawn to recognize the 20th anniversary of the Presidential Scholars Program. The crowd had been sitting on those metal folding chairs for a long time & had a long time to go yet. I couldn’t resist—when I faced them I said maybe I could suggest something a little more comfortable & I took off my coat. I must have made a lot of friends. Some very pleased men followed suit. Another hot time but much more brief was in the Rose Garden—a signing ceremony of 4 environmental bills—land being designated as Wilderness. Bill Drennan my mil. aide came in with his family. He’s being transferred to San Antonio. I presented him with a medal. He’s a good man & soldier. Some of my old Calif. kitchen Cabinet came by—Henry Salvatori, Jack Wrather, Ed Mills, Stu Spencer, Joe Coors etc. Then over to the W.H.—East Room to meet 120 Repub. cands. for Cong. & be videotaped with each one. Dennis Revell is here—we had dinner together. Nancy is in Las Vegas—gone for a week.
