Thelma "Pat" Nixon
First Lady of the United States
In office January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974
Preceded by	Lady Bird Johnson
Succeeded by	Betty Ford
Second Lady of the United States
In office January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961
Preceded by	Jane Hadley Barkley
Succeeded by	Lady Bird Johnson
Born	March 16, 1912(1912-03-16) Ely, Nevada, U.S.
Died	June 22, 1993 (aged 81) Park Ridge, New Jersey, U.S.
Spouse	Richard Nixon
Children	Patricia, Julie
Occupation	First Lady of the United States
Religion	Methodist

Thelma Catherine Ryan "Pat" Nixon^[1] (March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993) was the wife of former President Richard Nixon and the First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974. First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson (December 22 1912&ndashJuly 11 2007 was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 having been the wife of Elizabeth Anne Bloomer Warren Ford (born April 8 1918 is the widow of former United States Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Elizabeth Jane Rucker Hadley Barkley ( September 23, 1911 &ndash September 6, 1964) was Second Lady of the United States as the second Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson (December 22 1912&ndashJuly 11 2007 was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 having been the wife of Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Ely (pronounced, rhyming with "freely" is a city in White Pine County, Nevada, in the United States. Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Park Ridge is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Patricia "Tricia" Nixon Cox (born February 21, 1946, in Whittier, California) is the first daughter of the late U Julie Nixon (born July 5 1948 in Washington DC) is the second daughter of Richard and Pat Nixon and younger sister of Tricia First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. She was commonly known as Pat Nixon.

As First Lady, Pat Nixon promoted a number of charitable causes including volunteerism and oversaw the collection of more than 600 examples of historic art and furnishings for the White House, an acquisition larger than that of any other administration. Volunteerism is the willingness of people to work on behalf of others without being motivated by financial gain See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence She also encouraged women to run for political offices and became the most traveled First Lady in U. S. history up to that time, visiting about eighty nations; she was the first First Lady to visit a combat zone. The " Combat Zone," in Boston Massachusetts, was the name given to the Adult entertainment district in downtown centered Her tenure ended when, after being re-elected in the landslide victory of 1972, President Nixon resigned two years later amid the Watergate scandal. The United States presidential election of 1972 was waged on the issues of radicalism and the Vietnam War. The Watergate scandals were a series of Political scandals during the presidency of Richard Nixon that resulted in the Indictment of several of Nixon's

Her public appearances became rarer in her later life. She suffered two strokes within ten years of returning to California and was later diagnosed with lung cancer. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. She died in 1993.

Early life

Thelma Catherine Ryan was born in the small mining town of Ely, Nevada, the day before St. Patrick's Day. Ely (pronounced, rhyming with "freely" is a city in White Pine County, Nevada, in the United States. Saint Patrick's Day (Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig) colloquially St "She began life, she suspects, in a tent", a profile observed, "and seems to have spent the years of her youth getting out of it. "^[2] Her father, William M. Ryan, Sr. , was a sailor, gold miner, and truck farmer of Irish descent. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate Her mother, Katherine Halberstadt, was a German immigrant. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as ^[1]

Pat was a nickname given to her by her father, referring to her birthdate and Irish ancestry. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate ^[1] Upon enrolling in college in 1931, she dropped her first name of Thelma, replacing it with Pat and occasionally rendering it as Patricia, the name inscribed on her tombstone; the name change, however, was not a legal action, merely one of preference. ^[3][4][5]

After her birth, the Ryan family moved near Los Angeles, California, and in 1914, settled on a small truck farm in Artesia (present-day Cerritos). Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Artesia is a general law city in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States and is one of the county's Gateway Cities. Cerritos (formerly known as Dairy Valley) is a Charter city in Los Angeles County California, United States, and is one of several cities that ^[6] During this time she worked on the family farm and also at a local bank as a janitor and bookkeeper. For the Scrubs character see Janitor (Scrubs A janitor is a person who takes care of a building such as a School, Office Bookkeeping (also book-keeping or book keeping) is the recording of all Financial transactions undertaken by an individual or Organization (including Her mother died of cancer in 1924. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled ^[7] Pat, who was 12 at the time, assumed all the household duties for her father, who died in 1929 of silicosis, and two older brothers, William Jr. Silicosis (also known as Grinder's disease and Potter's rot) is a form of Occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline Silica (1910–1997) and Thomas (1911–1992). She also had a half-sister, Neva Bender (born 1909), and a half-brother, Matthew Bender (born 1907), from her mother's first marriage.

"I never had it easy"

It has been said that few, if any First Ladies worked as consistently before their marriage as did Pat Nixon. ^[1] As she told the writer Gloria Steinem during the 1968 presidential campaign, "I never had it easy. Gloria Marie Steinem (born March 25, 1934) is an American feminist icon Journalist and women's rights advocate I never had time to think about things like. . . who I wanted to be or whom I admired, or to have ideas. I never had time to dream about being anyone else. I had to work. "^[2]

After graduating from Excelsior High School in 1929, Pat Ryan attended Fullerton Junior College. History Fullerton Junior College as it was known from 1913 to 1972 was born out of a proposal made in April 1913 by then principal of Fullerton Union High School Delbert Brunton She paid for her education by working odd jobs, including as a driver, a pharmacy manager, and a typist. Driving is the controlled operation of a land Vehicle, usually a Motor vehicle such as a Truck or a car. Pharmacy (from the Greek φάρμακον 'pharmakon' = drug is the Health profession that links the Health sciences with the chemical sciences A data entry clerk is a member of staff who reads hand-written or printed records and types them into a Computer. She also earned money sweeping the floors of a local bank,^[1] and from 1930 until 1932, she lived in New York City, working as a secretary and an X-ray technician. A secretary is either an administrative assistant in business office administration, or a certain type of mid- or high-level governmental position such as a A radiologic technologist, or radiographer, is a healthcare professional who creates medical images of the body to help health care providers diagnose and treat illness and injury ^[7]

Determined "to make something out of myself",^[2] she worked her way through the University of Southern California, where she majored in merchandising. The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly As a former professor noted, "She stood out from the empty-headed, overdressed little sorority girls of that era like a good piece of literature on a shelf of cheap paperbacks. "^[8] The young Ryan held part-time jobs on campus, worked as a sales clerk in Bullock's-Wilshire department store, taught typing and shorthand at a high school, and supplemented her income by working as an extra in the film industry. Clerk, the vocational title commonly refers to a White-collar worker who conducts general office or in some instances sales tasks An extra is a Performer in a Film, Television show, stage musical opera or ballet production who appears in a nonspeaking nonsinging or nondancing capacity She can be seen in a brief walk-on in the 1935 film Becky Sharp, as well as the 1936 film The Great Ziegfeld. Becky Sharp is an American film released in 1935 and directed by Rouben Mamoulian. The Great Ziegfeld ( 1936) is a Musical film produced by MGM. ^[9]

In 1937, Pat Ryan graduated cum laude from USC and accepted a position as a high school teacher in Whittier, California. Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an Academic degree was earned High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution In Education, a teacher is one who helps Students or pupils often in a School, as well as in a Family, religious or Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County California about southeast of Los Angeles.

Marriage and family

The Nixon family just before the nationally-televised Checkers Speech, September 1952

While in Whittier, Pat Ryan met a young lawyer fresh out of Duke University, Richard Milhous Nixon. The "Checkers speech" was given by Richard Nixon on September 23, 1952, when he was the Republican candidate for the Vice Presidency Duke University is a private Research University located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. The two became acquainted at a Little Theater group when they were cast together in The Dark Tower. Known as Dick, Nixon asked Pat Ryan to marry him the first night they went out. "I thought he was nuts or something!" she recalled. ^[10] He courted the redhead he called his "wild Irish Gypsy" for two years,^[11] however, even driving her to and from her dates with other men. She preferred to remain secret, but admitted, "That's true — but it's mean to repeat it. "^[12] Eventually they married at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California on June 21, 1940. The Mission Inn is a whimsical and mysterious historic landmark hotel in downtown Riverside California. Riverside is the County seat of Riverside County, California, United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She said that she had been attracted to the young Nixon because he "was going places, he was vital and ambitious. . . he was always doing things. "^[2]

While Richard Nixon served in the Navy during World War II, Pat worked as a government economist living in San Francisco. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including An economist is an expert in the Social science of Economics. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city She campaigned at his side in 1946 when he entered politics, running successfully for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. That same year, she gave birth to a daughter and namesake, Patricia, usually called Tricia. Patricia "Tricia" Nixon Cox (born February 21, 1946, in Whittier, California) is the first daughter of the late U In 1948, Nixon had her second and last child, Julie. Julie Nixon (born July 5 1948 in Washington DC) is the second daughter of Richard and Pat Nixon and younger sister of Tricia

Although Pat Nixon was a Methodist, she and her husband attended whichever Protestant Church was nearest to their home, especially once in Washington. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. They attended the Metropolitan Memorial Methodist Church because it sponsored her daughters' Brownie troop, occasional Baptist services with the Reverend Dr. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Billy Graham, and Norman Vincent Peale's Marble Collegiate Church. William Franklin Graham Jr KBE (born November 7 1918 better known as Billy Graham, is an evangelist and an Evangelical Christian Dr Norman Vincent Peale ( May 31, 1898 – December 24, 1993) was a Protestant Preacher and Author (most notably ^[13]

By the time the Nixons reached the White House, some observers characterized them as "people who have lost whatever they once had between them. " Judith Viorst in The New York Times wrote that "critics compare the Kennedy marriage ('As bad as it was, you knew that something was there') and the Johnson marriage ('He couldn't live without her') to the Nixons' ('Dry as dust')". Judith Viorst, born February 2, 1931) is an American Author, Newspaper Journalist, and Psychoanalysis John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of ^[2] A few White House insiders derided the marriage further, saying the President treated her with "the formality usually reserved for middle-echelon bureaucrats" and had an occasional habit of walking past her "without seeming to notice she was there. A bureaucrat is a member of a Bureaucracy, usually within an institution of the Government. [Aides] have seen her reach out her arm to remind him. "^[2] Author Kati Marton described the Nixons as "living virtually separate lives, carefully avoiding each other's company". Kati Marton is an American author and Journalist. Her career has included reporting for ABC News as a foreign correspondent and National Public Radio as As Marton stated, "In their marriage, the personal was always subordinated to the political". ^[14] When asked about her husband's career, Pat herself once stated, "The only thing I could do was help him, but [politics] was not a life I would have chosen. "^[15]

The early campaigns

Nixon ran for Congress in 1946 and his wife participated in her husband's campaign by doing research on his opponent, incumbent Jerry Voorhis. Horace Jeremiah "Jerry" Voorhis ( April 6, 1901 &ndash September 11, 1984) was a Democratic Politician from She also wrote and distributed campaign literature. ^[16] Nixon was elected in his first campaign to represent California's 12th congressional district. California's 12th congressional district spans from the southwestern portions of San Francisco in the north down to San Mateo in the south and from Moss During the next six years, Nixon saw her husband move from the U. S. House of Representatives to the United States Senate, and then be nominated as Dwight D. Eisenhower's vice presidential candidate. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death

Second Lady of the United States, 1953–1961

During the Presidential campaign of 1952 Pat Nixon's attitude toward politics changed when her husband was accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions. The United States presidential election of 1952 took place in an era when the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was in one of its most tense In response, he delivered his famous "Checkers Speech", so-called for the family's dog, a cocker spaniel given them by a political supporter. The "Checkers speech" was given by Richard Nixon on September 23, 1952, when he was the Republican candidate for the Vice Presidency This was Mrs. Nixon's first national television appearance, and she, her daughters, and the dog were featured prominently. Defending himself as a man of the people, Nixon said of his wife, "I should say this, that Pat doesn't have a mink coat. There are two living species of " mink," the American Mink and the European Mink. But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat, and I always tell her she would look good in anything. "^[17][18]

Pat Nixon accompanied her husband abroad in his vice presidential years. On a trip to Venezuela, their limousine was pelted with rocks and the Nixons were spat upon as representatives of the U. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the A limousine (or limo) is a longer than normal Luxury car. The chassis may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coach builder traditionally S. government.

A November 1, 1958 article in the Seattle Times was typical of the media's favorable coverage of the future First Lady, stating that "Mrs. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Seattle Times, one of two daily Newspapers serving Seattle Washington, United States, is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Nixon is always reported to be gracious and friendly. And she sure is friendly. She greets a stranger as a friend. She doesn't just shake hands but clasps a visitors hand in both her hands. Her manner is direct. . . . Mrs. Nixon also upheld her reputation of always looking neat, no matter how long her day has been. " A year and a half later, during her husband's campaign for the presidency, The New York Times called her "a paragon of wifely virtues" whose "efficiency makes other women feel slothful and untalented. "^[19]

Pat Nixon was named Outstanding Homemaker of the Year (1953), Mother of the Year (1955), and the Nation's Ideal Housewife (1957), and once admitted that she pressed all of her husband's suits one evening. "Of course, I didn't have to," she told The New York Times. "But when I don't have work to do, I just think up some new project. " Small wonder, the newspaper noted, that some observers described Pat Nixon as "a paper doll, a Barbie doll – plastic, antiseptic, unalive" and that she "has put every bit of the energy and drive of her youth into playing a role, and she may no longer recognize it as such. Barbie is a best-selling fashion Doll launched in 1959 The doll is produced by Mattel Inc " As for the criticisms, she said, "I am who I am and I will continue to be. "^[2]

Her husband's campaigns—1960, 1962 and 1968

Vice-President Nixon ran for President of the United States in 1960 against then-Senator John F. Kennedy. The United States presidential election of 1960 marked the end of Dwight D John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of He conceded the election to Kennedy, although the race was very close and there were allegations of voter-fraud. ^[20] Pat Nixon was most upset about the television cameras, which recorded her reaction when her husband lost — "millions of television viewers witnessed her desperate fight to hold a smile upon her lips as her face came apart and the bitter tears flowed from her eyes. "^[2]

In 1962, the Nixons embarked on another campaign, this time for Governor of California. The Governor of California is the highest executive authority in the state government whose responsibilities include making annual "State of the State" addresses Prior to Richard Nixon's announcement of his candidacy, Tom Ryan, a friend of the family's, said "Pat told me that if Dick Ran for governor she was going to take her shoe to him. "^[21] Although she eventually agreed to another run, citing that it meant a substantial amount to him,^[21] Richard Nixon lost the gubernatorial election to Pat Brown. Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown Sr ( April 21, 1905 February 16, 1996) was the 32nd Governor of California, serving

Six years later, however, Nixon would make a political comeback with his presidential victory of 1968 over Vice-President Hubert Humphrey. Please DO NOT flip the colors -->The United States presidential election of 1968 was a wrenching national experience and included the assassination of Democratic candidate Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr ( May 27, 1911 &ndash January 13, 1978) was the thirty-eighth Vice President of the United States, serving

First Lady of the United States, 1969–1974

Pat Nixon holds the Ryan and Nixon family Bibles as her husband is sworn in, January 20, 1969

Major initiatives

While fielding ideas for a project as First Lady, Pat Nixon decided to continue what she called "personal diplomacy. "^[22] One of her major initiatives as First Lady was volunteerism, encouraging Americans to address social problems on the local level through volunteering at hospitals, civic organizations, rehabilitation centers, and other outlets; she also was an advocate of the Domestic Services Volunteer Act of 1970. Volunteerism is the willingness of people to work on behalf of others without being motivated by financial gain A hospital is an institution for Health care providing treatment by specialised staff and equipment and often but not always providing for ^[23] She became involved in the development of recreation areas and parkland, was a member of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, and lent her support to organizations dedicated to improving the lives of handicapped children. ^[1] Early in the administration, she undertook a project of making the White House fully handicapped accessible, and printed White House brochures in multiple languages for foreign visitors. ^[1]

Life in the White House

Pat Nixon greets young White House visitors, 1969

After her husband was elected president in 1968, Mrs. Nixon met with the outgoing First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and toured the private quarters of the White House on December 12. Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson (December 22 1912&ndashJuly 11 2007 was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 having been the wife of Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian ^[24] Eventually she asked Sarah Jackson Doyle — an interior decorator who had worked for the Nixons since 1965 and who decorated the family's 10-room apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York with French and English antiques — to serve as a design consultant^[25] and hired Clement Conger from the State Department to be the Executive Mansion's new curator. ^[26]

Pat Nixon had an interest in adding artifacts to the Executive Mansion and built on Jacqueline Kennedy's more publicized efforts. She ended up adding more than 600 paintings and furnishings to the White House and its collections, the largest number of acquisitions by any administration. ^[1] She opened the White House for evening tours so that the public could see the interior design work that had been implemented. In addition, she instituted a series of performances by artists at the White House in varied American traditions, from opera to bluegrass; among the guests were The Carpenters in 1972. The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo consisting of Siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. These events, however, had mixed results, being described as ranging from "creative to indifferent, to downright embarrassing". ^[2]

Nixon works with a florist on flower settings, December 1970

When they entered the White House in 1969, the Nixons began inviting families to non-denominational Sunday Church services in the East Room of the White House. In Christianity, a church service is a term used to describe a formalized period of communal Worship, often but not exclusively occurring on Sunday or Saturday in | |-| |-| |-| |-|-| |} The East Room is the largest room in the White House, the home of the President of the United States. The president later discontinued these services due to concerns over the separation of Church and State. Separation of church and state is a Political and Legal Doctrine that Government and religious institutions are to be kept separate Mrs. Nixon also oversaw the White House wedding of her daughter, Tricia, to Edward Ridley Finch Cox in 1971. ^[27]

Mary Brooks, the director of the United States Mint, described the First Lady as "a good example to the women of this country, if they're not part of those Women's Liberation groups,"^[2] but despite her largely demure public persona as a traditional wife and homemaker, Nixon was not as self-effacing and milquetoast as her critics often claimed. The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its Trade and Commerce. The feminist movement (also known as the Women's Movement or Women's Liberation) is a series of campaigns on issues such as Reproductive rights (sometimes When a news photographer wanted her to strike yet another pose while wearing an apron, she firmly responded, "I think we've had enough of this kitchen thing, don't you?"^[28] Though her impact on public discourse was modest and of debatable importance, she did speak out in favor of women running for political office and encouraged her husband to nominate a woman to the Supreme Court, saying "woman power is unbeatable; I've seen it all across this country. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. "^[29] Nixon was a vocal supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, though her views on abortion are mixed. The Equal Rights Amendment ( ERA) is a failed proposed amendment to the United States Constitution intended to guarantee equal rights under the Following the Court's 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, Pat stated she was pro-choice. Roe v Wade, 410 US 113 (1973 is a controversial United States Supreme Court case that resulted in a Landmark decision regarding Overview See also Ethical aspects of abortion Pro-choice advocates emphasize their beliefs that having a child is a personal choice that affects a woman's body and ^[1] However in 1972, she said, "I'm really not for abortion. I think it's a personal thing. I mean abortion on demand—wholesale. "^[30]

The Nixons on the Great Wall of China during their historic trip, 1972

Pat Nixon posing in the White House, 1970

Travels

Nixon held the record as the most-traveled First Lady until Hillary Clinton. The Great Wall of China ( or ( is a series of stone and earthen Fortifications in China, built rebuilt and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from ^[1] According to Helen McCain Smith, the First Lady's long-time press secretary, she was used to "doing her own thing whenever she wanted to do it," yet she was "caged in the White House. "^[31] Notable journeys included the Nixon's historic visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972 and the Nixon-Brezhnev summit meetings in the Soviet Union. The 1972 Nixon visit to China was the first step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 One of her first solo official trips abroad was to Africa (specifically Ghana and Liberia), where she addressed the nations' congresses and met with heads of state. The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire A congress is a formal meeting of representatives from different countries (or by extension Constituent States, or independent organisations (such as different Trade Mrs. Nixon also flew to South America where she aided in taking relief supplies to earthquake victims of Peru, a trip that was heralded in newspapers around the world for her acts of compassion and disregard for her personal safety or comfort. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. ^[2] On the trip, the Peruvian government presented her with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun, the highest Peruvian distinction and the oldest such honor in the Americas. The Order of the Sun ( La Orden El Sol del Peru) is the highest award bestowed by the nation of Peru to commend notable civil and military merit ^[1] Later, she visited Venezuela with the unique diplomatic standing of personal representative of the president, and during a trip to South Vietnam, became the first First Lady to visit a combat zone. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the "RVN" redirects here RVN is also the former callsign of a TV station in Wagga Wagga New South Wales Australia The " Combat Zone," in Boston Massachusetts, was the name given to the Adult entertainment district in downtown centered ^[1]

Fashion

The fashion press tends to take special interest in First Ladies, whose traditional role as the nation's hostess puts their personal appearances and styles under scrutiny, and their attention to Mrs. Nixon was lively. Women's Wear Daily claimed that Mrs. Nixon had "the best-looking legs of any woman in public life today,"^[32][33] but fashion writers tended to have a lackluster opinion of her well-tailored but nondescript American-made clothes. "I consider it my duty to use American designers," she said,^[34] noting that she preferred to buy readymade garments rather than made-to-order outfits. "I'm a size 10," she told The New York Times. "I can just walk in and buy. I've bought things in various stores in various cities. Only some of my clothes are by designers. "^[35] She did, however, wear the custom work of some well-known talents, notably Geoffrey Beene, at the suggestion of Clara Treyz, her personal shopper, who was accused in Time magazine of having poor taste. Geoffrey Beene ( August 30 1924 – September 28 2004) was an American Fashion designer. For other uses see Time (disambiguation Time is a component of a measuring system used to sequence events to compare the durations of Many fashion observers concluded that Pat Nixon did not greatly advance the cause of American fashion. Nixon's yellow-satin inaugural gown by Harvey Berin was criticized as "a schoolteacher on her night out", but Treyz defended her wardrobe selections by saying, "Mrs. Nixon must be ladylike. "^[36][37][38]

Pat Nixon also was concerned about appearing conservatively dressed, especially so as her husband's political star rose. "Always before, it was sort of fun to get some one thing that was completely different, high-style", she told a reporter. "But this is not appropriate now. I avoid the spectacular. "

Watergate

Further information: Watergate scandal

Vice President and Mrs. The Watergate scandals were a series of Political scandals during the presidency of Richard Nixon that resulted in the Indictment of several of Nixon's Ford escort the Nixons from the White House to a waiting helicopter on Nixon's final morning as U. S. president, August 9, 1974

At the time the Watergate scandal broke to the media, Pat Nixon did not know of the secret tape recordings her husband had made. Julie Nixon Eisenhower stated in her biography of her mother, Pat Nixon: The Untold Story, that the First Lady would have ordered the tapes destroyed immediately had she known of their existence. ^[39] Once she did learn of the tapes, she did just that. ^[1] Believing in her husband's innocence, she also encouraged him not to resign and instead fight all the impeachment charges that were eventually leveled against him.

After President Nixon told his family he would resign the office of the presidency, Mrs. Nixon replied, "But why?" Eventually, however, she contacted White House curator Clement Conger to cancel any further development of a new official china pattern from the Lenox China Company and began supervising the packing of the family's personal belongings. ^[40] On August 8, 1974, the family met in the solarium of the White House for their last dinner. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Later Pat Nixon said of the photographs taken that evening, "Our hearts were breaking and there we are smiling. "^[41]

The next morning, a televised twenty minute farewell speech to the White House staff took place in the East Room, during which the President read from Theodore Roosevelt's biography and praised his own parents. | |-| |-| |-| |-|-| |} The East Room is the largest room in the White House, the home of the President of the United States. Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T ^[42] The First Lady could hardly contain her tears; she was most upset about the cameras, because they recorded her anguish, as they had during the 1960 election defeat. The Nixons walked onto the Executive Mansion's South Lawn with Vice President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford to Marine One, the helicopter that would carry them to Andrews Air Force Base; from there they would fly to California. Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (July 14 1913 December 26 2006 was the thirty-eighth President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 and the fortieth Vice President Elizabeth Anne Bloomer Warren Ford (born April 8 1918 is the widow of former United States WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Andrews Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. ^[43]

Pat Nixon later told her daughter Julie, "Watergate is the only crisis that ever got me down. . . And I know I will never live to see the vindication. "^[44]

Later life

Pat Nixon (third from left), Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Betty Ford attend the dedication of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, July 19, 1990

After returning to San Clemente, California and settling into the Nixons' home, La Casa Pacifica, Mrs. Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins on July 6 1921 is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and served as an influential Barbara Pierce Bush (born June 8 1925 is the wife of the 41st President of the United States, George H Elizabeth Anne Bloomer Warren Ford (born April 8 1918 is the widow of former United States The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is the Presidential library of Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th This article is about a city in Orange County California For other meanings see San Clemente (disambiguation. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. La Casa Pacifica ( Italian and Spanish for "The House of Pacific" translated also as "The House of Peace" is a mansion located on the beaches Nixon rarely appeared in public and only granted occasional interviews to the press. Appearing "frail and slightly bent",^[45] she did appear in public, however, for the opening of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace (now Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum) in Yorba Linda, California on July 19, 1990. The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is the Presidential library of Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) She also attended the opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, in November 1991. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs is the Presidential library of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States

Mrs. Nixon's official White House portrait, painted in 1978 by Henriette Wyeth Hurd

In late May 1975, Pat went to her girlhood town of Artesia, California (present day Cerritos) to dedicate the Patricia Nixon Elementary School. Cerritos (formerly known as Dairy Valley) is a Charter city in Los Angeles County California, United States, and is one of several cities that Patricia Nixon Elementary School is located in Cerritos California, as part of the ABC Unified School District. ^[46] In her remarks, Nixon stated: "I'm proud to have the school carry my name. I always thought that only those who have gone had schools named after them. I am happy to tell you that I'm not gone—I mean, not really gone. ^[46]"

On that day, Mrs. Nixon informed many people that her public life after the resignation was not over, as many had come to believe. It was Pat's only solo public appearance in five and a half years in California. ^[46]

Pat suffered a stroke on July 7, 1976 at La Casa Pacifica; it resulted in the paralysis of her entire left side. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Paralysed redirects here For other uses see xx Paralysed (disambiguation Paralysis is the complete loss of Muscle function Physical therapy enabled her to eventually regain all movement. ^[1] She said that her recovery was "the hardest thing I have ever done physically. "^[47] She sustained another stroke in 1983. ^[48] The former First Lady also suffered in her later years from a degenerative spine condition.

Her health problems were complicated by the fact that Nixon was "a heavy smoker although she never permitted herself to be seen smoking in public". ^[49] This addiction led to bouts with oral cancer,^[50] emphysema, and ultimately lung cancer, with which she was diagnosed in December 1992, while hospitalized with respiratory problems. Oral cancer is any cancerous tissue growth located in the Mouth. Emphysema is a chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease ( COPD) formerly termed a chronic obstructive Lung disease (COLD Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. ^[7]

Death and funeral

The funeral service honoring Pat Nixon, June 26, 1993

Pat Nixon died at her home in Park Ridge, New Jersey at 5:45 am on June 22, 1993, aged 81; she died the day after her 53rd wedding anniversary. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Park Ridge is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Her daughters and husband were by her side.

The funeral service for Mrs. Nixon took place on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California on June 26, 1993. Yorba Linda is an affluent suburban community in Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) The former First Lady was eulogized by speakers at the ceremony, including California Governor Pete Wilson, Kansas senator Bob Dole, and the Reverend Dr. The Governor of California is the highest executive authority in the state government whose responsibilities include making annual "State of the State" addresses Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23 1933 is an American Politician from California. Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole (born July 22 1923 is an attorney and retired United States Senator from Kansas from 1969–1996 serving part of that time Billy Graham. William Franklin Graham Jr KBE (born November 7 1918 better known as Billy Graham, is an evangelist and an Evangelical Christian In addition to her husband and immediate family, former presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford and their wives, Nancy and Betty, were also in attendance. Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (July 14 1913 December 26 2006 was the thirty-eighth President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 and the fortieth Vice President Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins on July 6 1921 is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and served as an influential Elizabeth Anne Bloomer Warren Ford (born April 8 1918 is the widow of former United States ^[51] Lady Bird Johnson was unable to attend because she was in the hospital recovering from a stroke, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis did not attend either, also due to health reasons. Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson (December 22 1912&ndashJuly 11 2007 was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 having been the wife of ^[51]

Mrs. Nixon's tombstone gives her name as "Patricia Nixon," the name by which she was popularly known, and the epitaph reads:

A year after her death, actress Joan Allen portrayed her, as well as actress Julie Condra during her younger years, in the Oliver Stone film Nixon. Joan Allen (born August 20, 1956) is an American multiple Academy Award -nominated and Tony Award -winning Actress, perhaps Julie Michelle Condra (born on December 1, 1970) sometimes credited as Julie Condra is a TV and movie actress William Oliver Stone (born 15 September) is an American Film director and Screenwriter. Nixon is a 1995 Biographical film directed by Oliver Stone for Cinergi Pictures that tells the story of the political and personal

See also

• Pat Nixon Park

Footnotes

References

• Eisenhower, Julie Nixon (1986). Julie Nixon (born July 5 1948 in Washington DC) is the second daughter of Richard and Pat Nixon and younger sister of Tricia Pat Nixon: The Untold Story. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0671244248.  
• Marton, Kati (2001). Kati Marton is an American author and Journalist. Her career has included reporting for ABC News as a foreign correspondent and National Public Radio as Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History. New York: Pantheon. ISBN 0375401067.  

External links

• Pat Nixon's Gravesite
• White House biography