Richard Nixon was born in 1913 in California. He had a career in politics before becoming president, including serving as vice president under Eisenhower from 1953-1961. Nixon was elected president in 1968 and re-elected in 1972. However, the Watergate scandal, involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and Nixon's subsequent cover-up, led to his resignation in 1974, making him the only U.S. president to resign from office. After resigning, Nixon withdrew from public life for some time before traveling, giving advice, and writing about foreign policy and his encounters until his death in 1994.

1. Made by: Benedict Gombocz

2. Family
 Father: Francis “Frank”
Anthony Nixon – owner and
grocer of gas station.
 Mother: Hannah Milhous
Nixon – committed Quaker.
 Siblings: Four brothers.
 Wife: Thelma Catherine “Pat”
Ryan – Business Teacher.
 Children: Two daughters –
Patricia and Julie.

3. Childhood and Education
 Richard Milhous Nixon was born on
January 9, 1913, in Yorba
Linda, California.
 Grew up in poverty and helped out at
his father’s grocery store.
 Was raised as Quaker.
 Had two brothers who died from
tuberculosis.
 Attended local public schools;
graduated in 1930 at top of his high
school class.
 Went on to attend Whittier College
from 1930-34; graduated with history
degree.
 Subsequently attended Duke
University Law School, graduating in
1937; was then admitted to the bar.

4. Duke University Law School

5. Career before Presidency
 Started practicing law in 1937.
 Attempted his hand at owning a business,
which failed before enlisting in the navy to
serve in World War II.
 Advanced to lieutenant commander and
resigned in March 1946; was elected as U.S.
Representative in 1947.
 Was elected to U.S. Senate in 1950, serving
in that post until 1952, when he was VP-
elect on Republican ticket, with Dwight D.
Eisenhower; the two were inaugurated in
January 1953, re-elected in November 1956,
and served until January 1961.
 Was Republican nominee for President in
1960, but lost the election to Democratic
nominee John F. Kennedy.
 Also lost 1962 California gubernatorial
election to Democrat Pat Brown; after his
loss, he declared “You won’t have Dick
Nixon to kick around anymore.”

6. Nixon-Kennedy debate, 1960

7. 1960 election – Results

8. “You won’t have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore.”

9. Election as President, 1968
 In spite of his decision to no longer run for
public office, Nixon sought Republican
nomination for President six years after his
defeat in California gubernatorial election;
other candidates of 1968 Republican National
Convention were Ronald W. Reagan (Governor
of California), Jim A. Rhodes (Governor of
Ohio), Nelson A. Rockefeller (Governor of
New York), Harold Stassen (ex-Governor of
Minnesota), and John Volpe (Governor of
Massachusetts).
 Won Republican nomination and chose
Maryland Governor Spiro T. Agnew to be his
running mate.
 Nixon and Agnew defeated Democrat Hubert
H. Humphrey (Lyndon B. Johnson’s VP and ex-
Senator from Minnesota) and Humphrey’s
running mate Edmund Muskie, and American
Independent George C. Wallace (former
Governor of Alabama) and Wallace’s running
mate Curtis LeMay; they obtained 43% of
popular vote and 301 electoral votes.

10. 1968 election – Results

11. Spiro T. Agnew

12. Re-election and Agnew’s resignation, 1972-1973
 Was re-nominated by Republican party for re-
election in 1972, with Agnew as his running mate
again.
 Nixon easily defeated his opponent George
McGovern (Senator from South Dakota) and
McGovern’s running mate Sergeant Shriver
(Ambassador to France; replaced Senator from
Missouri Thomas Eagleton as running
mate), winning with 61% of vote and 520 electoral
votes.
 In the summer of 1973, Agnew was put under
investigation after it was revealed that he accepted
bribes of over $100,000, while he served as
Baltimore County Executive, Governor of
Maryland, and VP; on October 10, 1973, he was
permitted to plead no contest (Nolo contendere)
to single charge of failure to report $29,500 of
income acquired in 1967, provided that he resign
as VP.
 Following Agnew’s forced resignation, Nixon
appointed House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford
to fill Agnew’s post; Agnew became second VP to
resign (after John C. Calhoun in 1832), but only VP
to resign because of charges of corruption.

13. 1972 election – Results

14. Gerald R. Ford

15. Watergate Scandal, Resignation and Post-
Presidential Period, 1972-1994
 At the same time Nixon ran for re-election, it was revealed
that five men from Committee to Re-elect the President
(CREEP) burglarized Democratic National Headquarters at
Watergate business complex; two Washington Post
reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, unfolded
solid cover-up of break-in.
 Nixon had set up taping system and when the Senate asked
to hand over tapes recorded in Oval Office, he refused to
hand them over on the grounds that he had executive
privilege.
 Supreme Court rejected his claim and forced him to give
the tapes up; although the tapes had no evidence that
Nixon was directly involved in the break-in, they revealed
his involvement in covering it up.
 Faced with inevitable impeachment with his role in
Watergate, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, becoming
only president to resign; Vice President Ford succeeded
him in private ceremony the same day, granting Nixon
pardon in September 1974.
 After his resignation, Nixon withdrew to San
Clemente, California.
 Intervened in dispute between Major League Baseball and
Umpire Association in 1985.
 Traveled extensively, giving advice to several politicians
including Reagan administration; also wrote about his
encounters and foreign policy.
 Died on April 22, 1994, aged 81, from severe stroke and
blood clot.

16. Historical Significance
 Whereas many significant events
took place during the Nixon
Administration, such as end of
Vietnam War, his visits to People’s
Republic of China and Soviet
Union, and going to the moon, his
presidency is closely associated with
Watergate.
 Trust in office of presidency sunk
with disclosure of this political
scandal; the way the Press dealt with
the office forever changed in
subsequent administrations.

17. Events and Accomplishments of Nixon’s Presidency
 On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 reached the moon and first step
by man was taken outside of earth: “That’s one small step
for man, one giant leap for mankind.” This accomplished
Kennedy’s objective of going to the moon before close of
decade.
 On April 30, 1970, U.S. and South Vietnamese troops
attacked Cambodia in effort to seize Communist
headquarters, which was met with protests across the
country, the most visible of which was at Kent State
University on May 4, 1970, where demonstrators at the
campus were fired upon by Ohio National Guard; four
were killed and nine were wounded.
 Acts to protect environment were significant part of
Nixon’s time in office; Environmental Protection Agency
was established on December 2, 1970.
 President Nixon went to China in February 1972 to
encourage peace and opening diplomatic relations
between United States and China; he was first American
president to step foot on Chinese soil.
 Nixon also made a visit to the Soviet Union in May 1972, in
which he conducted successful détente negotiations with
his Soviet counterpart, friend, and ally (leading to signing
of subsequent Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty): the one and
only LEONID ILYICH BREZHNEV.
 Peace treaty was signed with North Vietnam in January
1973, by which all U.S. forces remaining pulled out and all
prisoners of war were freed; despite agreement, fighting
resumed and Communists won in April 1975.

18. Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, 1972

19. Bibliography
 http://americanhistory.about.com/od/richardnix
on/p/pnixon.htm