2008.3.1

This large political poster was used in the unsuccessful campaign of Richard Nixon when he ran for Governor of the state of California. The paper poster has a yellow background. Nixon appears in a dark blue suit, white shirt and dark blue necktie. There's a broad horizontal stripe of blue across the bottom of the poster. Printed in this band, in yellow letters "Nixon For Governor."

Richard Milhous Nixon, the thirty-seventh President of the United States of America was born on January 9, 1913, in Yorba Linda, California. He attended Fullerton High School from 1926 to 1918, graduating, second in his class, from Whittier High School. He attended Whittier College, declining a scholarship to Harvard University, because of "insufficient financial means for attendance." While at Whittier, he co-fouinded the Orthogonian Society (a fraternity). A graduated second in his class and went on to the Law School at Duke University. When he returned to California in 1937, he was admitted to the bar and practiced law in the office of a family friend. He married Thelma "Pat" Ryan on June 21, 1940. (They had two daughters: Tricia, born in 1946, and Julie, born in 1948.) During World War II he served in the naval reserve, commanding cargo handling units in the South Pacific; he was made a lieutenant commander. In 1946 Nixon was elected to the United States House of Representatives, defeating a five term Democrat incumbent, Jerry Voorhis. Nixon was on the House Un-American Activities Committee and did investigation on the Alger Hiss/Whittaker Chambers case, 1948. In 1950, after two terms in Congress, Nixon defeated Democratic Congresswoman Helen Gahagan Douglas for a seat in the US Senate. Name calling was part of the campaign; Nixon called Gahagan Douglas "pink," "pink right down to her underwear." She dubbed him "Tricky Dick."In 1952, at the age of 39, Nixon was elected Vice President of the United States on a Republican ticket headed by World War II General, Dwight David ("Ike") Eisenhower. He served a second term as Vice President. In 1960 he was deafted in his bid for the Presidency by John F. Kennedy. In 1962, Nixon was a candidate again, this time for Governor of California; he lost to Edumnd G. "Pat" Brown. In his consession speach he told reports "...You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference." Later, he moved to New York City and became the senior partner in the law firm of Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander.In 1968 Nixon was once again a candidate, this time for President of the United States, on the Republican ticket, with Maryland Governor Spiro Agnew as his running mate. He won the Presidency, defeating the Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey and independent candidate George Wallace. Amid charges of bribery, tax evasion and money laundering, Vice President Agnew resigned on October 10, 1973. Representative Gerald Ford was chosen by Nixon to be Vice President. In 1972 Nixon enjoyed a landslide election victory, being re-elected to the Presidency, defeating Senator George McGovern.Watergate (originally a term used to refer to a break in at the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, June 1972) became a synonym for a broader group of illegal and secret activities by Nixon or his aides during his Presidency.Nixon resigned from office on August 9, 1974. Gerald Ford became President and on September 8, 1974, Ford issued a blanket pardon.Nixon was disbarred by the State of New York in 1976. Following that he resigned his other law licenses.Former First Lady Pat Nixon died on June 22, 1993; her funeral services were held on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California. Former President Nixon suffered a severe stroke on April 18, 1994, and died on April 21, 1994, at the age of 81. He is buried on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, next to Pat.

Used: campaign ~ political | Election campaign | Richard M. Nixon | California