Remember when ... Richard Nixon announced on TV he would resign

History was made on Thursday, Aug. 8, 1974.

President Richard M. Nixon announced that night on television he would resign from the office of the presidency, becoming the first president in history to be driven from office by scandal. He said he was leaving because "the Watergate matter" has eroded his support in Congress.

Forty-nine years ago today.

Resignation demands had mounted on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 1974 in reaction to Nixon's dual, damaging disclosures on Monday, Aug. 5, 1974 that he tried two years prior to thwart a major phase of the FBI's Watergate investigation, and that he withheld this information from Congress and his own lawyer.

At high noon on Friday, Aug. 9, 1974, Gerald R. Ford became the 38th President of the United States. Under terms of the Constitution, Ford automatically ascended to the office of President at the effective hour of Nixon's resignation. Two hours prior, Nixon took a tearful leave of the White House.

Ford was the first President to never face national election, succeeding the first President to ever quit voluntarily.

'The Watergate matter'

On Friday, Sept. 15, 1972, a federal grand jury indicted two former White House aids and five men who were arrested at the scene of a Saturday, June 17, 1972 break-in at the Watergate hotel-office-apartment complex in Washington, D.C. All seven were charged with conspiring from Monday, May 1, 1972 to Saturday, June 17, 1972 to gain information from the Democratic headquarters by illegally using wiretaps and electronic surveillance devices, as well as various other counts. Indicted were G. Gordon Liddy, E. Edward Hunt, James W. McCord, Jr., Bernard L. Baker, Eugenio Martinez, Frank A. Sturgis and Virgilio R. Gonzalez.

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On Monday, Oct. 9, 1972, the Washington Post reported FBI agents had established that the Watergate bugging incident stemmed from a massive campaign of political spying and sabotage conducted on behalf of Nixon's re-election and directed by officials of the White House and the Committee for the Re-Election of the President.

Local reaction

In a Courier-News poll of 65 citizens published Friday, Aug. 9, 1974, 28 said investigations of Nixon should proceed, 36 said drop them, and one was undecided. An overwhelming 53 of 65 said Watergate had done good for the country. More than 65 people were interviewed, but their answers defied classification, such as:

"I felt very, very bad. I was crying," said Mrs. William Sutphen of Westfield. "Every senator and congressman should be investigated," she said. "There are no honest politicians."

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Amelia Dellaventura of South Plainfield said she was "broken-hearted" by Nixon's resignation. "I think it's the worst thing he could do for the country," she said.

George Sebastian of Raritan said he was "very pleased" with Nixon's resignation. Sebastian had been "anxious" to learn the outcome of Watergate since listening to the House Judiciary Committee's vote for impeachment.

Walt Otrinski, who was a barkeeper at Petey's Tavern in Manville, saw further prosecution as persecution. "The whole thing was more or less against him. He resigned, so why go on? Why kick a man when he's down?"

'Saddest event ever'

Mrs. John C. Lim of Bridgewater called the announcement the "saddest event ever ― a shocking experience," Lim said. "It's not that I want Nixon persecuted ... but young people (especially) need to know what justice is."

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"This is a crazy era," said Mrs. Alf Thomas of Westfield, with the events Americans had watched in recent years on television, such as the King and Kennedy assassinations, a vice president resigning and then a president.

"It did good because we found out he was guilty and now we'll have to see what else happens," said Rich Lazicky, a bus driver from East Millstone, of Watergate.

Pete Semenick Sr., owner of Petey's Tavern in Manville, said, "Yes, it's been worth it because a lot of stuff has come out of it that we never would have known about."

Joan Dunn of Franklin said she had "great hope" Gerald Ford as President would be one "with a lot of integrity and without a lot of corruption around him."

The Rev. Terry D. Norwood, a Plainfield Baptist minister, said, "No one likes to have his sins exposed, but he should have confessed and said that at the time he thought he was doing the best for the country. I think American citizens would have given him a chance."

Greg Stone of Flemington said, "I wouldn't want to see President Nixon go to jail. But on the other hand, I'm not sure whether we should pay him that $60,000-a-year pension."

'I'm glad he's out of office'

"I feel sad about it," said Loretta Cannon of South Amboy. "Oh, I'm glad he's out of office and I think he should be prosecuted, but it's a sad situation."

"Good riddance. He got just what he deserved," said James DeAngelo of East Brunswick.

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"I like Nixon," said Susan Stombaurgh of East Brunswick. "It's a shame he had to get mixed up in all that."

"In my opinion," said Dick Flanagan of East Brunswick, "he protected his men the way any good foreman or supervisor would do for his men. He was a good president."

George Heppner of Edison said it was "sad for what they got themselves involved in," saying also, "I don't think anybody will ever know if he's guilty and I still think he was a good president."

Mike Wynn, 17, of South Amboy, said, "It's cool as long as they don't give him that $60,000 pension. They should give him some trouble instead. He's like all the other politicians. He's a crook."

Emerson Mulks, then 61, was the resident political expert at Green Brook Manor Nursing Home in Green Brook at the time, according to a number of female residents. "I'm relieved Nixon resigned," said the former Clark resident. "But, I'm very saddened that someone who achieved such great things had to leave like that."

Lilly Schmidt of Westfield, who was 83 at the time, said, "I'm like a mother disappointed in her boy. But you couldn't tell me he didn't do any good. He opened up the doors to Russia and China."

Ford pardons Nixon

On Sunday, Sept. 8, 1974, Ford unconditionally pardoned Nixon for any criminal conduct during his presidency. Minutes later, this was followed by a Nixon statement of remorse at "my mistakes over Watergate."

What do you remember about this event? Visit This Week in Central Jersey History/Remember When at bit.ly/3IyzE1G.

Brad Wadlow is a staff writer for MyCentralJersey.com

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Nixon resignation anniversary: Aug. 8, 1974 look back