[104] Nixon campaigned on his experience but Kennedy called for new blood and claimed the Eisenhower–Nixon administration had allowed the Soviet Union to overtake the U.S. in ballistic missiles (the "missile gap"). [164] Once American combat support ended, there was a brief truce, before fighting broke out again. I know how it feels to lose a close one."[131]. [95] Eisenhower suffered a mild stroke in November 1957, and Nixon gave a press conference, assuring the nation that the Cabinet was functioning well as a team during Eisenhower's brief illness. [237], Nixon's speech received generally favorable initial responses from network commentators, with only Roger Mudd of CBS stating that Nixon had not admitted wrongdoing. Nixon followed up by sending Kissinger to China for clandestine meetings with Chinese officials. A member of the Republican Party, Nixon previously served as the 36th vice president from 1953 to 1961, having risen to national prominence as a representative and senator from California. And, I guess, if I'd been in their position, I'd have done the same thing. [30] The number of scholarships was greatly reduced for second- and third-year students, forcing recipients into intense competition. [185] The controls produced food shortages, as meat disappeared from grocery stores and farmers drowned chickens rather than sell them at a loss. Nixon used the Middle East crisis to restart the stalled Middle East Peace Negotiations; he wrote in a confidential memo to Kissinger on October 20: I believe that, beyond a doubt, we are now facing the best opportunity we have had in 15 years to build a lasting peace in the Middle East. The President and First Lady arrived in Moscow on May 22, 1972, and met with Leonid Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the Communist Party; Alexei Kosygin, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers; and Nikolai Podgorny, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, among other leading Soviet officials. The media presented Nixon communicating with Chinese government officials, attending dinners, and being accorded tours with other people of influence. Nixon was inaugurated as president on January 20, 1969, sworn in by his onetime political rival, Chief Justice Earl Warren. Indeed, by their willingness to engage in summit meetings with us, with Nixon going to China in February 1972, and to Moscow in May 1972, the Russians and Chinese were beginning to place a higher priority on their bilateral relations with us than on their dealings with their friends in Hanoi.[4]. I also told him that I know exactly how he felt. [167] Other support included strikes organized against Allende and funding for Allende opponents. On July 15, 1971, the President shocked the world by announcing on live television that he would visit the PRC the following year. Nixon visited PRC to gain more leverage over relations with the Soviet Union. [274], Nixon suffered a severe stroke on April 18, 1994, while preparing to eat dinner in his Park Ridge, New Jersey home. It was also clear that this man was tough, ruthless, and came from a peasant background, in contrast to the elegant, Mandarin quality of Zhou Enlai. McGovern was also damaged by his vacillating support for his original running mate, Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton, dumped from the ticket following revelations that he had received treatment for depression. The truce negotiations rapidly escalated into a superpower crisis; when Israel gained the upper hand, Egyptian President Sadat requested a joint U.S.–USSR peacekeeping mission, which the U.S. refused. [315], When Nixon was told that most Americans felt they did not know him even at the end of his career, he replied, "Yeah, it's true. Nixon". [103], There were charges of voter fraud in Texas and Illinois, both states won by Kennedy. These tapes were subpoenaed by Watergate Special Counsel Archibald Cox; Nixon provided transcripts of the conversations but not the actual tapes, citing executive privilege. And our little girl—Tricia, the 6-year-old—named it Checkers. He received no response to his letter of application and learned years later that he had been hired, but his appointment had been canceled at the last minute due to budget cuts. In early 1978, Nixon went to the United Kingdom. Later, Nixon was transferred to other offices to work on contracts and finally to Baltimore. Nonetheless, Nixon acted in Eisenhower's stead during this period, presiding over Cabinet meetings and ensuring that aides and Cabinet officers did not seek power. [146], When Nixon took office, about 300 American soldiers were dying each week in Vietnam,[147] and the war was broadly unpopular in the United States, with ongoing violent protests against the war. During the Nixon administration, the U.S. greatly increased arms sales to the Middle East, particularly Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Israel suffered heavy losses and Nixon ordered an airlift to resupply Israeli losses, cutting through inter-departmental squabbles and bureaucracy and taking personal responsibility for any response by Arab nations. According to Ambrose, "Nixon wanted to be judged by what he accomplished. NASA Administrator Thomas O. Paine drew up ambitious plans for the establishment of a permanent base on the Moon by the end of the 1970s and the launch of a crewed expedition to Mars as early as 1981. In light of his loss of political support and the near-certainty that he would be impeached and removed from office, Nixon resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974, after addressing the nation on television the previous evening. [307] Author and former British politician David Owen deemed Nixon an alcoholic.[308][309]. Some people think it's good therapy to sit with a close friend and, you know, just spill your guts ... [and] reveal their inner psyche—whether they were breast-fed or bottle-fed. [199] Nixon sought a middle way between the segregationist Wallace and liberal Democrats, whose support of integration was alienating some Southern whites. [275] In keeping with his wishes, his funeral was not a full state funeral, though his body did lie in repose in the Nixon Library lobby from April 26 to the morning of the funeral service. In a December 1955 meeting, Eisenhower proposed that Nixon not run for reelection in order to give him administrative experience before a 1960 presidential run and instead become a Cabinet officer in a second Eisenhower administration. We could deal with Eastern Europe, of course, and we could deal with China because the former Communist Bloc was no longer a bloc. [201], Some scholars, such as James Morton Turner and John Isenberg, believe that Nixon, who had advocated for civil rights in his 1960 campaign, slowed down desegregation as president, appealing to the racial conservatism of Southern whites, who were angered by the civil rights movement. Nixon went on to review the accomplishments of his presidency, especially in foreign policy. Nixon believed that putting distance between himself and other people was necessary for him as he advanced in his political career and became president. [278] Mourners waited in line for up to eight hours in chilly, wet weather to pay their respects. The Chinese agreed to a peaceful settlement of the Taiwan question. By dealing with Russia and with China we hoped to put pressure on Hanoi to negotiate seriously. [158][159][160] Documents uncovered from the Soviet archives after 1991 reveal that the North Vietnamese attempt to overrun Cambodia in 1970 was launched at the explicit request of the Khmer Rouge and negotiated by Pol Pot's then-second-in-command, Nuon Chea. [2][3][4] However, evaluations of him have proven complex, with successes as president contrasted against the circumstances of his departure from office. "[315], "Nixon" redirects here. [28] The school was new and sought to attract top students by offering scholarships. [267] Nixon visited the Soviet Union in 1986 and on his return sent President Reagan a lengthy memorandum containing foreign policy suggestions and his personal impressions of Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. His periodic overindulgences, especially during stressful times such as during Apollo 13, concerned Price and others, including then-advisor Ehrlichman and long-time valet Manolo Sanchez. Biographer Irwin Gellman, who chronicled Nixon's congressional years, said of his vice presidency: Eisenhower radically altered the role of his running mate by presenting him with critical assignments in both foreign and domestic affairs once he assumed his office. The president believed that—except during the Suez Crisis—the U.S. had failed to intervene with Israel, and should use the leverage of the large U.S. military aid to Israel to urge the parties to the negotiating table. While in Shanghai, Nixon spoke about what this meant for the two countries in the future: This was the week that changed the world, as what we have said in that Communique is not nearly as important as what we will do in the years ahead to build a bridge across 16,000 miles and 22 years of hostilities which have divided us in the past. [54], In June 1947, Nixon supported the Taft–Hartley Act, a federal law that monitors the activities and power of labor unions, and he served on the Education and Labor Committee. [94], In early 1957, Nixon undertook another major foreign trip, this time to Africa. Nixon also took dilantin, recommended by Jack Dreyfus. [313] In one conversation with H. R. Haldeman, Nixon said that Washington was "full of Jews" and that "most Jews are disloyal", making exceptions for some of his top aides. He wrote in his diary, referring to himself and Pat, So be it. The bill was weakened in the Senate, and civil rights leaders were divided over whether Eisenhower should sign it. [27], After graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Whittier in 1934, Nixon received a full scholarship to attend Duke University School of Law. [93] Eisenhower and Nixon were reelected by a comfortable margin in the November 1956 election. [130] Nixon said: "I have received a very gracious message from the Vice President, congratulating me for winning the election. [8] Four of the five Nixon boys were named after kings who had ruled in medieval or legendary Britain; Richard, for example, was named after Richard the Lionheart. Nixon believed that with the Democrats torn over the issue of the Vietnam War, a Republican had a good chance of winning, although he expected the election to be as close as in 1960. [10], From February 21 to 28, 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon traveled to Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. [304] Nixon biographer Conrad Black described him as being "driven" though also "uneasy with himself in some ways". His administration generally transferred power from federal control to state control. For this service, he received a Navy Letter of Commendation (awarded a Navy Commendation Ribbon which was later updated to the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal) from his commanding officer for "meritorious and efficient performance of duty as Officer in Charge of the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command". [75] Nixon also criticized President Harry S. Truman's handling of the Korean War. In Montevideo, Uruguay, Nixon made an impromptu visit to a college campus, where he fielded questions from students on U.S. foreign policy. [261], On August 10, 1979, the Nixons purchased a 12‐room condominium occupying the seventh floor of 817 Fifth Avenue New York City[262] after being rejected by two Manhattan co-ops. No words can describe the depth of my regret and pain at the anguish my mistakes over Watergate have caused the nation and the presidency, a nation I so deeply love, and an institution I so greatly respect. Talk to them. Kissinger had sort of the same reaction as I did. [287] In his article, Thompson described Nixon as "a political monster straight out of Grendel and a very dangerous enemy. [218] McGovern intended to sharply reduce defense spending[219] and supported amnesty for draft evaders as well as abortion rights. Nixon's youth (he was then 39), stance against communism, and political base in California—one of the largest states—were all seen as vote-winners by the leaders. [206] Nixon had campaigned as an ERA supporter in 1968, though feminists criticized him for doing little to help the ERA or their cause after his election. The activities were brought to light after five men were caught breaking into the Democratic party headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 1972. [1] The seven-day official visit to three Chinese cities was the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC; Nixon's arrival in Beijing ended 25 years of no communication or diplomatic ties between the two countries and was the key step in normalizing relations between the U.S. and PRC. Scott and Goldwater told the president that he had, at most, only 15 votes in his favor in the Senate, far fewer than the 34 needed to avoid removal from office.[235]. Nixon had a private meeting with Deng and visited Beijing again in mid-1979. [153] In May 1969 he publicly proposed to withdraw all American troops from South Vietnam provided North Vietnam also did so and for South Vietnam to hold internationally supervised elections with Viet Cong participation. [144] He said he was suspicious of Kissinger,[144] though the National Security Advisor referred to their meeting as his "encounter with history". His application was successful, and he was appointed a lieutenant junior grade in the U.S Naval Reserve (U.S. Navy Reserve) on June 15, 1942. Pazuzu: David Herman: A large gargoyle, formerly owned by Professor Farnsworth. [232], The scandal grew to involve a slew of additional allegations against the President, ranging from the improper use of government agencies to accepting gifts in office and his personal finances and taxes; Nixon repeatedly stated his willingness to pay any outstanding taxes due, and later paid $465,000 (equivalent to $2.4 million in 2019) in back taxes in 1974. [53] Nixon won the election, receiving 65,586 votes to Voorhis's 49,994. He painted himself as a man of modest means (his wife had no mink coat; instead she wore a "respectable Republican cloth coat") and a patriot. Though Nixon had no official credentials, as a former president he was seen as the American presence at its former ally's funeral. [74] He supported statehood for Alaska and Hawaii, voted in favor of civil rights for minorities, and supported federal disaster relief for India and Yugoslavia. Pat Nixon held the family Bibles open at Isaiah 2:4, which reads, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks." However, I thought that the conversation was somewhat episodic and not very full. He defeated McGovern with over 60 percent of the popular vote, losing only in Massachusetts and D.C.[222], The term Watergate has come to encompass an array of clandestine and often illegal activities undertaken by members of the Nixon administration. He maintained close relations with the Cuban-American exile community through his friend, Bebe Rebozo, who often suggested ways of irritating Castro. [187], Nixon was a late supporter of the conservation movement. [44] Nixon commanded the SCAT forward detachments at Vella Lavella, Bougainville, and finally at Green Island (Nissan Island). )[61], Nixon first gained national attention in August 1948, when his persistence as a HUAC member helped break the Alger Hiss spy case. He was shunned by American diplomats and by most ministers of the James Callaghan government. Agnew had little interest in the work, and most of it was done by Labor Secretary George Shultz. [189][188] Nixon vetoed the Clean Water Act of 1972—objecting not to the policy goals of the legislation but to the amount of money to be spent on them, which he deemed excessive. Told by his doctors that he could either be operated on or die, a reluctant Nixon chose surgery, and President Ford visited him in the hospital. [74] He maintained friendly relations with his fellow anti-communist, controversial Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy, but was careful to keep some distance between himself and McCarthy's allegations. [14][15], Richard attended East Whittier Elementary School, where he was president of his eighth-grade class. [150][151][152] In mid-1969, Nixon began efforts to negotiate peace with the North Vietnamese, sending a personal letter to North Vietnamese leaders, and peace talks began in Paris. Brezhnev backed down as a result of Nixon's actions. In December 1974, Nixon began planning his comeback despite the considerable ill will against him in the country. From Shanghai, the Nixons traveled to Beijing. He saw that the first Earth Day in April 1970 presaged a wave of voter interest on the subject, and sought to use that to his benefit; in June he announced the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Washington Post picked up on the story; reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward relied on an informant known as "Deep Throat"—later revealed to be Mark Felt, associate director at the FBI—to link the men to the Nixon administration. I've earned everything I've got. According to Walter Isaacson, soon after taking office, Nixon had concluded that the Vietnam War could not be won and he was determined to end the war quickly. [179], Nixon made one of his final international visits as president to the Middle East in June 1974, and became the first President to visit Israel. Ambassador to China) Winston Lord noted: First, an opening to China would give us more flexibility on the world scene generally. Kissinger briefed Nixon for over 40 hours in preparation. The Dallas Morning News stated, "History ultimately should show that despite his flaws, he was one of our most farsighted chief executives. Nixon had four brothers: Harold (1909–1933), Donald (1914–1987), Arthur (1918–1925), and Edward (1930–2019). While notes uncovered in 2016 may support such a contention, the context of said notes remains of debate. [42] He was assigned to the tire rationing division, where he was tasked with replying to correspondence. [125] His slogan of "Nixon's the One" proved to be effective. [213] Throughout his career, Nixon moved his party away from the control of isolationists, and as a Congressman he was a persuasive advocate of containing Soviet communism. [105], A new political medium was introduced in the campaign: televised presidential debates. [212], Nixon believed his rise to power had peaked at a moment of political realignment. [111], In 1963 the Nixon family traveled to Europe, where Nixon gave press conferences and met with leaders of the countries he visited. These activities concerned the Soviets and Cubans, who feared Nixon might attack Cuba and break the understanding between Kennedy and Khrushchev which had ended the missile crisis. The final round of diplomatic notes, reaffirming the 1962 accord, were exchanged in November. [19] He played junior varsity football, and seldom missed a practice, though he was rarely used in games. Nixon said he was resigning for the good of the country and asked the nation to support the new president, Gerald Ford. You'll be here in the year 2000 and we'll see how I'm regarded then. On the Republican side, Nixon's main opposition was Michigan Governor George Romney, though New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and California Governor Ronald Reagan each hoped to be nominated in a brokered convention. [226] On July 24, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the full tapes, not just selected transcripts, must be released. [140] The secrecy allowed both sets of leaders time to prepare the political climate in their countries for the contact. More than a week later, by the time the U.S. and Soviet Union began negotiating a truce, Israel had penetrated deep into enemy territory. That Richard Nixon was cheated out of the presidency in 1960 has become almost an accepted fact. [220][221] Nixon was ahead in most polls for the entire election cycle, and was reelected on November 7, 1972, in one of the largest landslide election victories in American history. He and his wife Pat moved to Washington in 1942 to work for the federal government. [83] Nixon emotionally defended himself, stating that the fund was not secret, nor had donors received special favors. [67] Downey, faced with a bitter primary battle with Representative Helen Gahagan Douglas, announced his retirement in March 1950. [166], The election of Marxist candidate Salvador Allende as President of Chile in September 1970 spurred Nixon and Kissinger to pursue a vigorous campaign of covert opposition to Allende,[167]:25 first designed to convince the Chilean congress to confirm Jorge Alessandri as the winner of the election and then messages to military officers in support of a coup. They collaborated closely, bypassing Cabinet officials. He called the conversation "the most historic phone call ever made from the White House". Clinton, whose wife served on the staff of the committee that voted to impeach Nixon, met openly with him and regularly sought his advice.[281]. [209] Nixon also canceled the Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory program in 1969, because unmanned spy satellites were a more cost-effective way to achieve the same reconnaissance objective. [79], Eisenhower gave Nixon responsibilities during his term as vice president—more than any previous vice president. [126] It is not clear whether the government of South Vietnam needed much encouragement to opt out of a peace process they considered disadvantageous. On his return, he helped shepherd the Civil Rights Act of 1957 through Congress. [213], Nixon entered his name on the New Hampshire primary ballot on January 5, 1972, effectively announcing his candidacy for reelection. They were joined by a large crowd of people, including Presidents Ford, Reagan, and George H. W. Bush, as well as their wives, Betty, Nancy, and Barbara. [22], Nixon was offered a tuition grant to attend Harvard University, but Harold's continued illness and the need for their mother to care for him meant Richard was needed at the store. [25] In addition to the society, schoolwork, and work at the store, Nixon found time for a large number of extracurricular activities, becoming a champion debater and gaining a reputation as a hard worker. "[290] Aitken feels that "Nixon, both as a man and as a statesman, has been excessively maligned for his faults and inadequately recognised for his virtues. [44] On June 1, 1953, he was promoted to commander in the U.S. Through his first term, he pursued a Southern Strategy with policies, such as his desegregation plans, that would be broadly acceptable among Southern whites, encouraging them to realign with the Republicans in the aftermath of the civil rights movement. In 1945, they formed a "Committee of 100" to decide on a candidate, hoping to avoid internal dissensions which had led to previous Voorhis victories. Nixon was the youngest member of the committee and the only Westerner. "[239], Following his resignation, the Nixons flew to their home La Casa Pacifica in San Clemente, California. I now consider a permanent Middle East settlement to be the most important final goal to which we must devote ourselves. [269] At the time, political pundit Elizabeth Drew wrote, "Even when he was wrong, Nixon still showed that he knew a great deal and had a capacious memory, as well as the capacity to speak with apparent authority, enough to impress people who had little regard for him in earlier times. The Carter administration had little use for Nixon and blocked his planned trip to Australia, causing the government of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser to withhold its official invitation.[257]. He visited Saigon and Hanoi in French Indochina. A series of revelations made it clear that the Committee to Re-elect President Nixon, and later the White House, were involved in attempts to sabotage the Democrats. In January 1945 he was transferred to the Bureau of Aeronautics office in Philadelphia to help negotiate the termination of war contracts, and received his second letter of commendation, from the Secretary of the Navy[49] for "meritorious service, tireless effort, and devotion to duty". Nixon was snubbed by the only one for men, the Franklins; many of the Franklins were from prominent families, but Nixon was not. After 4 hours in the air, the Nixons arrived in Shanghai. Although Nixon was in China for a week, this would be his only meeting with the top Chinese leader. Nixon ended American involvement in Vietnam in 1973, ending the military draft that same year. [183], Nixon's policies dampened inflation through 1972, although their aftereffects contributed to inflation during his second term and into the Ford administration. [305] According to Black, Nixon, thought that he was doomed to be traduced, double-crossed, unjustly harassed, misunderstood, underappreciated, and subjected to the trials of Job, but that by the application of his mighty will, tenacity, and diligence, he would ultimately prevail. He began practicing in Whittier with the law firm Wingert and Bewley,[28] working on commercial litigation for local petroleum companies and other corporate matters, as well as on wills. On February 18, 1947, Nixon referred to Eisler's belligerence toward HUAC in his maiden speech to the House. The gap, while not conclusive proof of wrongdoing by the President, cast doubt on Nixon's statement that he had been unaware of the cover-up. After five years in the White House that saw the conclusion to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, détente with the Soviet Union and China, and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, he became the only president to resign from the office, following the Watergate scandal. [81] Such a fund was not illegal but it exposed Nixon to allegations of a possible conflict of interest. [40] They had two daughters, Tricia (born 1946) and Julie (born 1948).
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