March 7, 1986
Nancy and I were saddened this evening to learn of the death of former Senator Jacob Javits of New York. Throughout his many years in the Senate, Jacob Javits was known for his intellect, for his integrity, for his dedication to the people of New York and the Nation, and for the sheer joy he took in every day of his work. Especially in foreign relations, his chief abiding interest, Senator Javits served our country with tremendous insight and skill, proving a staunch advocate of freedom around the world and a particular friend of the brave State of Israel. In recent years Senator Javits battled Lou Gehrig's disease with remarkable courage, continuing to write and lecture. Jacob Javits remained to the end a man in love with life, and from the streets of the great city he so cherished to the distant shores of California, he will be deeply missed. Nancy and I join the Senator's family in mourning this great loss.