Richard Nixon & Billy Graham at the White House

When Richard Nixon entered the White House, he brought his good friend Billy Graham with him. A constant presence and trusted adviser, the minister became, in the words of biographer Marshall Frady, â??something like an extra officer of Nixonâ??s Cabinet, the administrationâ??s own Pastor-without-Portfolio.â? Others were more critical. Will Campbell, a liberal southern preacher, denounced Graham as â??a false court prophet who tells Nixon and the Pentagon what they want to hearâ? while journalist I.F. Stone dismissed him as a â??smoother Rasputin.â? Whatever the critics said, Grahamâ??s influence in the Nixon White House was profound. With his blessing, the Nixon White House gave new life to old public rituals and, more importantly, created religious ceremonies of its own. Of all the religious rites and rituals launched in the Nixon administration, the most remarkable was the new practice of church services held inside the White House. â??Iâ??ve never heard of anything like it happening here before,â? White House curator James Ketcham told Time. The semi-regular services took place in the East Room, a showcase space noted for its sparkling chandeliers and gold silk tapestries. Instead of pews, oak dining room chairs with seats of yellow brocade were arranged in rows of twenty. A piano and an electric organ, donated to the White House by a friendly merchant, were positioned at the north end of the room, with space to the side for a rotating cast of choirs to perform. Between them stood a mahogany podium where the president and the â??pastor-of-the-dayâ? would make remarks.