Richard Nixon
president of the United States from 1969 to 1974 (1913–1994)
Richard Nixon: ascent, presidency and resignation
From California to Washington
Richard Nixon studied law at Duke after attending Whittier College and served in the Navy during the Second World War. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1946, he gained national attention through the Alger Hiss investigation. He won a Senate seat in 1950, completing an unusually rapid rise through American politics.
Defeat and return
As Dwight Eisenhower’s vice president from 1953 to 1961, Nixon became a familiar national figure. He narrowly lost the 1960 presidential election to John F. Kennedy and a California gubernatorial race two years later. The setbacks did not end his career: he rebuilt Republican support and won the presidency in 1968.
A consequential, troubled presidency
Nixon won reelection in 1972, but the Watergate scandal overtook his second term. Facing the prospect of impeachment, he resigned in 1974, the first US president to do so. His career is therefore remembered for both a remarkable political comeback and an unprecedented departure from office.
Data and sources
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum ↗