Richard Nixon
Fact File
- President No.: 37th
- Served: 1969-1974
- Party: Republican
- From: New York
- Married: Pat Nixon
- Born: January 9, 1913
- Died: April 22, 1994
- Education: Whittier College, Duke Law School
- Jobs Before President: Lawyer, businessman
- Height: 5 feet, 11 inches
- Population at time: 203,302,031
- Hobbies: Bowling, golf, piano
- Pets: Dogs, a French poodle named Vicky, a Yorkshire terrier named Pasha and an Irish setter named King Timahoe.
- Transportation: Helicopter, airplane, car
- Communication Methods: Telephone, typed letter
Richard Nixon Biography
Richard Milhous Nixon became the 37th President of the United States in 1969. His time in office could not be described as anything other than eventful. Although he brought about positive political resolutions, such as the end of the Vietnam War, his notoriety continues to stem from the Watergate scandal that ultimately brought about the end of his presidency.
Richard Milhous Nixon was born in a small farmhouse in Yorba Linda, California on January 9th, 1913. His father was a grocer and owned a small lemon farm. However, despite these humble beginnings, Nixon soon proved he had a strong desire to succeed.
Initially, Nixon attended local Whittier College before moving to study law at Duke University in 1934. Following his graduation, he joined the small law firm of Kroop & Bewley before moving to Washington in 1937 where he began working for the Office of Price Administration. He married sweetheart Patricia Ryan in 1940.
Before his political career truly got underway in 1946, Nixon served in the US Navy for four years. In August 1942, he was given his commission as a lieutenant and was stationed in the Pacific as an operations officer in the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command. He left in January 1946 to run for a seat in the House of Representatives under the Republican Party.
Upon his election to Congress in 1946, Nixon began to campaign against Communism. He joined the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) and took a lead role in their investigations and interrogation of suspected subversives. The successful prosecution of Alger Hiss and major investigation into Hollywood made Nixon a national figure and brought him onto the main political stage.
In 1952, by which time he had been elected to the Senate, Nixon was selected by General Dwight Eisenhower as a running mate for the presidential election. They easily defeated Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson, largely owing to Nixon’s smear campaign that labelled Stevenson a Communist. He served as Vice-President for eight years.
Nixon had taken a more active role in governmental issues following Eisenhower’s stroke at one stage and thus decided to run for President in 1960. Although the election was very close, Nixon ultimately lost to Democrat candidate John F. Kennedy by a small margin. Not to be discouraged, Nixon ran for Governor of California in 1962 but unfortunately lost to his opponent again.
Nixon, on the back of two such high-profile political defeats, returned home to practice law. He also read extensively and travelled to many different places throughout the globe after he announced his retirement from politics. However, Nixon’s quieter life was not to last.
By 1968, Nixon had emerged from retirement with a vengeance, announcing his intention to run for President a second time. This time he succeeded. He was inaugurated on January 20th, 1969 and vowed to bring the country together again.
Nixon’s reign was important for the America’s role in the international community. His appointment of Henry Kissinger as his National Security Advisor was a masterstroke. Between them, they improved relations with China and the Soviet Union and also initiated peace talks in the Middle East.
Vietnam was also a key issue in the American conscious. After bombing campaigns in Hanoi and Haiphong and after Nixon’s landslide re-election, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, thus effectively ending direct US military involvement in Vietnam. Nixon managed to achieve the withdrawal that none of his predecessors could.
Despite this, Nixon’s downfall was already in motion. During the 1972 election campaign, there had been a break-in at the Watergate Hotel, the Democratic Party headquarters, and there had been numerous rumours regarding Nixon’s involvement. In 1973 two of his advisors were forced to resign and a third, John Dean, refused and was fired. However, Dean then testified against Nixon in a Senate enquiry and calls for his impeachment began.
The Watergate scandal ultimately led to Nixon becoming the first US President to resign from office on August 9th, 1974. However, he did manage to avoid imprisonment for his involvement, unlike the other members of his staff who were proved to have been implicated in the scandal. His successor, President Gerald Ford, controversially granted Nixon a full pardon on September 8th, 1974.
Nixon dedicated the rest of his life to trying to restore his public reputation. He also travelled extensively and wrote and published ten books, all of which became bestsellers. He was also the first former President to give up the right to lifetime Secret Service protection in 1985.
Richard Nixon died of a stroke in New York City on April 22nd, 1994. He was aged 81.
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