Richard Nixon Genealogy
Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, served in the Oval Office from 1969 to 1974, before being the first president to resign from office during the Watergate scandal. The Richard Nixon genealogy involves an adult life in public service, working in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate before serving as vice president to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Nixon was well known for his brilliant work in foreign policy, bringing the Vietnam War to a final end and improving relations between the United States and China and Russia. Unfortunately, Nixon is probably even better known for his part in the Watergate scandal, an investigation that revealed a break-in and cover-up at the Watergate Hotel with the purpose of gaining information about certain members of the Democratic Party. After months of investigation and hearings, Nixon resigned from his position in the White House in the face of probable impeachment and firing.
Richard Nixon's family history began humbly and is an example of how hard work can help individuals rise above many obstacles. Although the Richard Nixon family tree never had much money, Nixon was able to go to college and law school, where he graduated at the top of his class. His hard work in Congress was equally noted, earning him respect from the American public and colleagues alike. Nixon's many achievements during his first term of the presidency helped him get easily elected for a second term. However, as details of the Watergate investigation unfolded, Nixon was forced to resign before serving the majority of his second term of office.
Richard Nixon Family Tree
Richard Nixon Family History
Richard Milhous Nixon was born in a house his father built in Yorba Linda, California, on January 9, 1913. Richard Nixon's family tree was relatively poor; after the family ranch failed in 1922, the Nixon clan moved to Whittier where Nixon's father opened up a grocery store and gas station. The former president described a Richard Nixon family history with a quote from Eisenhower, saying, "We were poor, but the glory of it was, we didn't know it." When a spot was discovered on Nixon's lung at the age of 12, he was prohibited from playing sports. His brother Arthur had died at a very young age after a short illness, and there was a family history of tuberculosis to be concerned about. Nixon attended Fullerton High School, an hour-long bus ride from his home, for two years, where he played junior varsity football and received excellent marks. He transferred to Whittier High School for his junior and senior year, where he graduated third in a class of 207 students. Throughout the Richard Nixon genealogy, evidence of hard work and persistence can be seen from this family.
Although Nixon was offered a scholarship to Harvard, he attended Whittier College in his hometown so he could help his ill father continue to run the family store. After graduating from Whittier, Nixon attended Duke University Law School, where he also graduated third in his class. He began practicing law in California shortly after graduation in 1937 and married Pat Ryan in 1940. Unhappy with his position at the law firm Wingert and Bewley, Nixon moved his family to Washington D.C. in 1942 so Nixon could begin his career in public service. His first job was at the Office of Price Administration, but four months after taking the position, he joined the U.S. Navy. Nixon served in a number of positions within the Navy during World War II, although he never saw any actual combat during that time.
In 1945, Nixon launched his political career, getting elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served on the Education and Labor Committee. Nixon also became involved in the House Un-American Activities Committee, where he made a name for himself with his involvement in the interrogations of alleged members of the communist party. Nixon moved to the Senate in 1950, and when Dwight D. Eisenhower ran for president in 1952, he asked Nixon to run as his vice president. Eisenhower and Nixon served two terms in the White House, and many thought Nixon was a sure candidate for the next U.S. President. However, Nixon lost the election in 1960 by a narrow margin to John F. Kennedy, a newcomer who charmed the country with his suave looks, brilliant oratory skills and message of change.
In hopes of remaining in the political arena, Nixon ran for governor of California in 1962, a race he also lost. At that point, Nixon took time off from politics, returning to his home state to practice law for a number of years before running again for the presidency in 1968. Nixon won this race and served one full term and had begun a second term when inklings of Watergate trickled out. When it was discovered that Nixon had taken direct part in the cover-up, Nixon resigned from his office rather than face impeachment from Congress.
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