Richard M. Nixon
37th President of the United States
(January 20, 1969 to August 9, 1974)
Full Name: Richard Milhous Nixon
Nickname: None listed.
Born: January 9, 1913, in Yorba Linda, California
Died: April 22, 1994, in New York, New York
Father: Francis Anthony Nixon (1878-1956)
Mother: Hannah Milhous Nixon (1885-1967)
Married: Thelma "Patricia" Catherine Ryan (1912-1993), on June 21, 1940
Children: Patricia Nixon (1946- ); Julie Nixon (1948- )
Religion: Society of Friends (Quaker)
Education: Graduated from Whittier College (1934) and Duke University Law School (1937)
Occupation: Lawyer, public official
Political Party: Republican
Other Government Positions:
- Attorney for U.S. Office of Emergency Management, 1942
- Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1947-51
- United States Senator, 1951-53
- Vice President, 1953-61 (under Eisenhower)
Presidential Salary: $200,000/year + $50,000 expense account
Presidential Election Results:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1960 John F. Kennedy 34,226,731 303
(map) Richard M. Nixon 34,108,157 219
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1968 Richard M. Nixon 31,785,480 301
(map) Hubert H. Humphrey 31,275,166 191
George C. Wallace 9,906,473 46
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1972 Richard M. Nixon 41,167,319 520
(map) George McGovern 29,168,509 17
John Hospers 1
Vice President: Spiro T. Agnew (1969-73); Gerald R. Ford (1973-74)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- William P. Rogers (1969-73)
Henry A. Kissinger (1973-74) - Secretary of the Treasury
- David M. Kennedy (1969-70)
John B. Connally, Jr. (1971-72)
George P. Schultz (1972-74)
William E. Simon (1974) - Secretary of Defense
- Melvin R. Laird (1969-72)
Elliot L. Richardson (1973)
James R. Schlesinger (1973-74) - Attorney General
- John N. Mitchell (1969-72)
Richard G. Kleindienst (1972-73)
Elliot L. Richardson (1973)
William B. Saxbe (1974) - Postmaster General
- Winton M. Blount (1969-71)
- Secretary of the Interior
- Walter J. Hickel (1969-70)
Rogers C. B. Morton (1971-74) - Secretary of Agriculture
- Clifford M. Hardin (1969-71)
Earl L. Butz (1971-74) - Secretary of Commerce
- Maurice H. Stans (1969-72)
Peter G. Peterson (1972)
Frederick B. Dent (1973-74) - Secretary of Labor
- George P. Schultz (1969-70)
James D. Hodgson (1970-72)
Peter J. Brennan (1973-74) - Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
- Robert H. Finch (1969-70)
Elliot L. Richardson (1970-73)
Caspar W. Weinberger (1973-74) - Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- George W. Romney (1969-72)
James T. Lynn (1973-74) - Secretary of Transportation
- John A. Volpe (1969-73)
Claude S. Brinegar (1973-74)
Supreme Court Justices:
Warren E. Burger, Chief (1969-1986)
Harry Blackmun (1970-1994)
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. (1972-1987)
William Rehnquist (1972-1986)
Notable Events:
- 1969
- On July 20, from the White House Nixon placed a telephone call to the Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon.
- On July 25, Nixon delivered the Nixon Doctrine at a press conference in Guam.
- 1970
- On August 12, Nixon signed the Postal Reorganization Act which established an independent U.S. Postal Service.
- On December 2, Environmental Protection Agency established.
- 1971
- On February 16, taping systems are activated in the White House.
- The Pentagon Papers, a top-secret U.S. Dept. of Defense study, were leaked to The New York Times. This document showed that the Johnson administration had secretly been expanding U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, further hurting the credibility of the Nixon administration.
- 1972
- On February 21, Nixon was the first president to visit China.
- On June 17, five people broke into the Democratic Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC.
- 1973
- On January 27, the Paris Peace Accords signed officially ending the Vietnam War.
- On October 10, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned and pleaded no contest to tax evasion.
- On December 6, Gerald Ford confirmed by Congress as Vice President.
- 1974
- On April 3, Nixon is penalized $475,000 in underpaid taxes and interest after an investigation by the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation.
- On July 24, the Supreme Court ruled 8-0 in United States v. Nixon that Nixon must turn over 64 tape recordings to the Senate Watergate Committee.
- On July 27, three articles of impeachment brought against Nixon by the House Judiciary Committee: obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.
- On August 8, Nixon announced his resignation effective at noon the next day.
Internet Biographies:
- Richard M. Nixon -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
- Compiled by the White House.
- Richard Nixon -- from The American President
- From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
- Richard Nixon -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Facts about Nixon and his presidency.
- Richard M. Nixon -- from Character Above All
- From a PBS broadcast of the same name, this essay excerpt by Tom Wicker discusses some of the issues and events that molded Nixon.
Videos:
1 / 5
Richard Nixon - U.S. President | Mini Bio | BIOPres. Nixon Underpays His Taxes - a Presidential Story Ep. 4Pres. Nixon’s Long-Distance Phone Call To the Moon - a Presidential Story Ep. 31America's Presidents - Richard Nixon#37 Richard Nixon1 / 5
Historical Documents:
- First Inaugural Address (1969)
- Second Inaugural Address (1973)
- Vietnamization - The Great Silent Majority (1969)
- Cambodian Invasion (1970)
- Resignation Speech (1974)
- Richard Nixon Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress
Other Internet Resources:
- The Best Biographies of Richard Nixon
- In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
- "Gavel-to-Gavel": The Watergate Scandal and Public Television
- Videos of all 51 days of Senate Watergate hearings. Includes summary videos and a list of the players involved.
- Health and Medical History of Richard Nixon
- Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
- Richard Nixon Library & Museum
- "Nine acres of galleries, theaters, and gardens; the faithfully restored boyhood home of the nation's 37th President; the resting place of the President and his First Lady; an innovative policy center to nurture their legacy." Located in Yorba Linda, California.
Points of Interest:
2650 Virginia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037
18001 Yorba Linda Blvd, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
2650 Virginia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037
18001 Yorba Linda Blvd, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
Additional Facts:
Quotes:“We have endured a long night of the American spirit. But as our eyes catch the dimness of the first rays of dawn, let us not curse the remaining dark. Let us gather the light.”
“Remember, always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you. But those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself.”
“The American dream does not come to those who fall asleep.”
“A man who has never lost himself in a cause bigger than himself has missed one of life’s mountaintop experiences. Only in losing himself does he find himself.”
“I like the job I have, but if I had to live my life over again, I would like to have ended up a sports writer.”
“Defeat doesn’t finish a man, quit does. A man is not finished when he’s defeated. He’s finished when he quits.”
“When the President does it, that means that it’s not illegal.”
“People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I earned everything I’ve got.”
“You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.”
“If an individual wants to be a leader and isn’t controversial, that means he never stood for anything.”
“We have endured a long night of the American spirit. But as our eyes catch the dimness of the first rays of dawn, let us not curse the remaining dark. Let us gather the light.”
“Remember, always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you. But those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself.”
“The American dream does not come to those who fall asleep.”
“A man who has never lost himself in a cause bigger than himself has missed one of life’s mountaintop experiences. Only in losing himself does he find himself.”
“I like the job I have, but if I had to live my life over again, I would like to have ended up a sports writer.”
“Defeat doesn’t finish a man, quit does. A man is not finished when he’s defeated. He’s finished when he quits.”
“When the President does it, that means that it’s not illegal.”
“People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I earned everything I’ve got.”
“You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.”
“If an individual wants to be a leader and isn’t controversial, that means he never stood for anything.”