LOS ANGELES (AP ) Timothy G. Elbourne, a former Nixon White House aide who traveled widely preparing media coverage for the president's historic 1972 journey to China and other trips, has died. He was 65.
Elbourne died of natural causes Aug. 7 at his home in Idyllwild, said Sandy Quinn, assistant director of the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda.
Elbourne was an advance assistant in Nixon's first administration after working on the 1968 presidential campaign with his former college roommate and Nixon press secretary Ronald Ziegler.
He left in 1973 but briefly returned the following year to help arrange a visit to Moscow. He made headlines when Soviet security personnel mistakenly hustled him out of a tea for first lady Pat Nixon.
According to an Associated Press report, he had been escorting photographers to the tea when others in the room suddenly saw Elbourne, ``a Russian on either side of him, being propelled across the room.''
``I give up, I give up,'' Elbourne reportedly said before he was released.
Born in Pomona and raised in Los Angeles' North Hollywood section, Elbourne graduated from the University of Southern California in 1961 and later worked for a public relations and consulting firm on various political campaigns.
After leaving the White House, he became president of the new Walt Disney Travel Co.
Elbourne helped with the 1990 opening of the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace and Nixon's funeral there in 1994.
He is survived by his wife, two daughters and four grandchildren. His son died last year.
A memorial service for Elbourne will be held 4 p.m. Sunday at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace. Instead of flowers, the family requests donations in Elbourne's name be made to the Maitri Hospice in San Francisco.
Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com
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