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Richard Milhous Nixon
37th President of the United States of America
(1913–94)

Biographical

President of the United States of America 1969–54 res.
Vice-president of the United States, 1953–61
Senator from California 1951–53
Member of the US House of Representatives 1947–51

Commander US Navy Reserve 1953
Lieutenant-Commander US Navy 1945
Senior Lieutenant US Navy 1943
Junior Lieutenant US Navy 1942

Richard Nixon excelled at Whittier College and Duke Law School before entering legal practice. During World War II, Nixon served as a Navy lieutenant commander in the Pacific. After his military service, he was elected to Congress and won a Senate seat in 1950. In 1952, he became Dwight D. Eisenhower’s running mate. As Vice President, he undertook significant responsibilities. He was nominated for President in 1960, but narrowly lost to John F. Kennedy. In 1968, he secured his party’s nomination again and defeated Hubert H. Humphrey and George C. Wallace. Nixon's presidency saw achievements such as revenue sharing, ending the draft, new crime legislation, and an extensive environmental agenda. He kept his promise to appoint conservative Justices to the Supreme Court, and his first term included the historic moon landing by American astronauts. Notable foreign policy successes included reducing tensions with China and the U.S.S.R. through visits in 1972 and negotiating a treaty to limit nuclear weapons with Soviet leader Leonid I. Brezhnev. He also reached an accord with North Vietnam in January 1973 to end U.S. involvement in Indochina. His Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, brokered disengagement agreements between Israel, Egypt, and Syria in 1974. In the 1972 election, Nixon defeated George McGovern by a record margin. However, his administration became embroiled in the Watergate scandal following a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. The scandal, which involved Nixon’s re-election campaign officials, led to several resignations and convictions. Nixon initially denied personal involvement but was forced to release tapes indicating attempts to obstruct the investigation. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned in 1973 amid unrelated scandals. Nixon appointed Gerald R. Ford as Vice President, who was confirmed by Congress. Facing imminent impeachment, Nixon announced his resignation on August 8, 1974, to begin the needed healing process in the country. In his later years, Nixon was regarded as an elder statesman and authored numerous books on his public and foreign policy experiences.

Place of birth: Yorba Linda, Ca.
Place of marriage: Riverside, Ca.
Place of death: New York City
Place of burial: Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Yorba Linda, Ca.

Son of Francis Nixon and Hannah Milhous. He married Thelma Ryan in 1940, and had issue.

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