Richard Milhous Nixon

37th President of the United States
(January 20, 1969 to August 9, 1974)

Nickname: None listed.

Born: January 9, 1913, in Yorba Linda, California
Died: April 22, 1994, in New York, New York

Father: Francis Anthony Nixon
Mother: Hannah Milhous Nixon
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

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)

Notable Events:

• Nixon resigned and was almost impeached over the Watergate Scandal, named for the burglaries at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington. D.C by men found to be connected to Nixon's re-election campaign fundraising committee.

• 1971

  • 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.

• 1971-2

  • The Nixon administration dramatically improved relations with China. Nixon made a public visit to China in February, 1972, following Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's secret visit to China in October, 1971.

• 1973

  • Nixon was praised during his presidency for ending American Involvement in the Vietnam War.

Internet Biographies:

Richard M. Nixon -- from The Presidents of the United States of America

Compiled by the White House.

Richard M. Nixon -- from Table of Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States - MSN Encarta

Grolier Online has created this resource from its collection of print articles in Encyclopedia Americana. Contains a full biography, written by James A. Robinson, President of the University of West Florida, along with suggestions for further reading.

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 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.

Historical Documents:

First Inaugural Address (1969)

Second Inaugural Address (1973)

Media Resources:

Audio

From his 1971 State of the Union address. (0:46)

RealAudio | MP3 (366K)

From the Vincent Voice Library at Michigan State University under the leadership of Dr. Maurice Crane.

Nixon Audio Archives

From Webcorp, sound clips from the kitchen debate with Khrushchev, Checkers speech, concession speech "you won't have Nixon to kick around anymore," explaining Watergate, and his resignation.

Video

Nixon Video Archive

From Webcorp, short AVI video clips from Nixon's Checker's speech in 1952, his "last press conference" in 1962, and from the Watergate affair in 1974.

Audio & Video

The American Presidency Project's Presidential Audio/Video Archive for Richard M. Nixon site

Other Internet Resources:

Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace

"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:

• Nixon is the only U.S. President who resigned from office.

Richard Nixon

37th President of the United States
(January 20, 1969 to August 9, 1974)

Thelma "Pat" Nixon

Videos