Richard M Nixon was the first man from the West Coast to be elected President. He was born in
Yorba Linda on January 9, 1913. He graduated from
Whittier College in 1934 and from
Duke University Law School in 1937. He served in the Navy and saw duty in the Pacific during
World War II. After the war, he was elected to the
United States House of Representatives in 1946 and 1948. Having gained national attention during the Alger Hiss hearings, Nixon was elected to represent California in the
United States Senate in 1950. He became the candidate for vice-president on the Republican ticket with
Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and again in 1956. Running on his own against
John F. Kennedy in 1960, he was narrowly defeated. When he also lost the California governer race in 1962, most observers thought he was politically finished, but he recovered and won the 1968 election against Hubert Humphrey. Several foreign policy successes were overshadowed by the Watergate scandal, which developed from the 1972 campaign. He resigned under pressure. Nixon died on Apr 22, 1994.
