The following item that you are about to read is an account of Richard Milhous Nixon’s life. This man played a key role in United States Presidency, despite controversial episodes. (As you will read), Richard Nixon faced many hardships and difficult decisions during his years in office, but he nevertheless overcame these obstacles.

Richard Milhous Nixon was born in 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. He was born as the second of five sons to Francis Anthony Nixon and Hannah Milhous Nixon. Young Richard attended public schools in Whittier, California, where he grew up, and as he got older, Richard attended Whittier College where he majored in history. Due to Richard’s academic excellence, he received a scholarship to Duke University Law School, where he completed his law degree in 1937. Nixon soon went on to join a small law firm in Whittier, where he practiced law and met his fiancée Thelma Ryan. On June 21, 1940, Thelma and Richard were married. Richard’s marriage soon led to having children. Patricia Nixon was born in 1946 and Julie Nixon was born in 1948. Richard wasn’t only interested in law, he also served his country. During the early years of World War II, Nixon worked in the Office of Emergency. His work in the military enforced Nixon to join the U.S. Navy, working as a lieutenant. He served in the Navy until 1946.

During the late 1940’s Nixon served his country in politics. Richard decided to be a California Republican candidate, and ran for his seat in the United States House of Representatives. He ran amongst many Democratic Congressmen, and won his election by accusing such Democrats as Jerry Voorhis on handling communism incorrectly. As a member in Congress, Nixon was regarded as an expert in international affairs, where he attacked the issue of communism. In 1950, Republicans chose Nixon as their candidate for the U.S. Senate representing California. Of course, with Richard’s well-written speeches and theories on communism, he won the vote. In 1952, Nixon was selected to be the running mate of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had won the Republican presidential nomination. The Eisenhower-Nixon ticket won a resounding victory. In 1956, Eisenhower and Nixon were reelected, after Nixon survived an attempt by some Republicans to replace him.

Nixon’s time in office as Vice President was spent debating issues and was spent as President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s ambassador and assistant in Congress. However, in 1960, President Eisenhower neared the end of his second term. Richard would have to represent the Republicans and run against his Democratic opponent, Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts. It was Kennedy’s high regarded intelligence and down to earth personality that helped him win in one of the closest winning elections in history. Both candidates received more than 34 million votes, and Kennedy beat Nixon by only 112,803 votes.

After Nixon’s defeat in the election, Nixon returned to California, to run as the Republican candidate for governor. However, the Democratic opponent Edmund G. Brown, won the election that year. Nixon’s strategies of weak Democratic laws and threats of Communism affecting the world, didn’t work this time. After Nixon’s political defeat, he moved to New York City where he once again joined a law firm and practiced law. By 1968, Nixon announced his candidacy for President of the United States. For his running mate he chose Spiro T. Agnew, the governor of Maryland. They successfully won in November 1968 by beating their Democratic opponent, Vice President Hubert H. Humphry of Minnesota.

A major issue that Nixon faced while he was President was the Vietnam War. The war began when Communists in South Vietnam, headed and supported by the Communist government of North Vietnam, launched an attempt to overthrow the government of South Vietnam. Nixon strongly opposed the Vietnam War, and felt that hundreds of U.S. troops were being killed. During the early 1970’s Nixon brought U.S. soldiers back home. He also signed a peace resolution in Vietnam with the Communist government.

By 1972, Nixon and Agnew were seeking reelection, which they later won. Voters had been impressed by the way Nixon handled the Vietnam War. Almost unnoticed during the campaign was the arrest of five men connected with Nixon’s reelection committee. The five had broken into the Democratic Party’s national headquarters in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington, D.C., in an attempt to steal documents and place wiretaps on the telephones. These were one of the many scandals that faced Richard Nixon. His trust was further eroded by the Watergate scandal. These revelations embarrassed and forced the resignation of all but one of Nixon’s closest aides and officials. Nixon had denied all charges and claimed that it was an "executive privilege". The Watergate inquiry sparked other investigations. One was into a burglary ordered by Nixon aides to obtain information about Daniel Ellsburg, who in 1971 had made a secret Pentagon history of the Vietnam War. A report released by the Internal Revenue Service in early 1974 revealed that Nixon owed $432,787 in back taxes for the years 1969 to 1972.

Many of the Nixon tapes were subpoenaed by Leon Jaworski and the Judiciary Committee, but Nixon refused to surrender them. When it became evident that tapes already supplied to the courts would be made public in the trials, Nixon released edited transcripts of some taped conversations. Nixon’s refusal to comply with subpoenas for tapes early in 1974 led Leon Jaworski to appeal to the Supreme Court. On July 24, 1974, the Court ruled against Nixon’s claims of "executive privilege". Also in July, the Judiciary Committee voted to introduce three impeachment articles. They accused Nixon of obstructing justice, abusing presidential power, and refusing to obey subpoenas by the House.

On August 5 Nixon released tapes showing that he had participated in the Watergate cover-up as early as June 1972. His supporters in Congress felt betrayed, and it seemed clear that Nixon would be impeached by the House and convicted in the Senate. On August 8 Nixon announced, without admitting guilt, that he would resign. Many believed he resigned to avoid impeachment. Because Vice President Agnew resigned in 1973, Nixon left office the next day and Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in as President.

Many citizens believed that Richard Milhous Nixon was a liar and a crook, while others believe he made well thought decisions on Vietnam and with the USSR. Sadly, Richard Milhous Nixon died of a stroke in 1994. He was buried next to his wife on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California. Richard will be remembered for years to come, and will be strongly missed.

Bibliography

1.) 1997 Encarta for Windows ‘95

2.) 1997 World Book Encyclopedia

3.) The World Wide Web (The Internet)