Our nation has lost a woman of remarkable intellect and grace with the passing of Nancy Kissinger.
On behalf of the Richard Nixon Foundation, our sincerest condolences go out to Nancy’s family and to all who loved her, as we mourn her passing alongside the memory of her husband of nearly 50 years, former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger, who preceded her in death in 2023.
Nancy was never simply the woman standing beside a great statesman — she brought her own foreign policy mind to one of history’s great partnerships. She was a researcher for Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s policy task forces when she met Henry in 1964, and she went on to direct international studies for the Commission on Critical Choices for Americans, work that placed her squarely among the strategic questions of war, peace, and American strength that would define both of their lives. Henry himself called her “my conscience,” and for good reason — hers was a rare partnership rooted first in ideas, and only later in marriage.
I had the privilege of knowing Nancy through my friendship with Henry, who was generous enough to mentor me when I stepped into the role of National Security Adviser. Her wit, her judgment, and her total command of a room were evident to anyone who spent time in her presence.
Nancy Kissinger will be remembered not only as the devoted partner of one of America’s greatest diplomats, but also as a generous philanthropist and formidable diplomat of ideas in her own right.
