Patricia Ryan Nixon (March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993) was the wife of Richard Nixon and the First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974.
Patricia Ryan Nixon | |
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Born | March 16, 1912 |
Died | June 22, 1993 |
Occupation | First Lady of the United States |
Predecessor | Lady Bird Johnson |
Successor | Betty Ford |
Spouse | Richard Nixon |
Children | Patricia, Julie |
Relatives | Kate Halberstdt |
Early life
Thelma Catherine Ryan was born in Ely, Nevada, the day before St. Patrick's Day. Her father nicknamed her "Pat" because he was of Irish descent. Pat's mother, Katherine "Kate" Halberstadt Ryan, was German, having been born in 1879 in Essen County, near Frankfurt, Germany. [1] Although the family was Methodist, her father was baptized in the Catholic faith and was thought to have returned to it shortly before he died. Thelma eventually legally changed her name to Patricia upon her father's death and her enrollment in college.
Her family soon moved near Los Angeles, California and settled on a small truck farm in the city of Dairy Valley, which is present day Cerritos. During this time she worked on the family farm and also at a local bank as a janitor and bookkeeper. Her mother died in 1925. Pat, who was 13, assumed all the household duties for her father and two older brothers. In 1930, aged 18, Pat lost her father after nursing him through months of illness.
College student, film extra, teacher and economist
After graduating from Excelsior High School in 1929, Patricia Ryan attended Fullerton Junior College for a while. She also worked as a driver, X-ray technician, pharmacy manager and a typist. She also worked in small capacities in several other jobs.
Left on her own and determined to continue her education, she worked her way through the University of Southern California. She held part-time jobs on campus, as a sales clerk in a fashionable department store and as an extra in the film industry.
She can be seen in a brief walk-on in the 1935 film Becky Sharp. She also appeared in 1936 film The Great Ziegfeld". Pat's efforts paid off when she graduated from USC cum laude in 1937.
Pat accepted a position as a high school teacher in Whittier, California. Later, during World War II, she would work as a government economist.
Indeed, it has been said that "Few, if any First Ladies worked as consistently before their marriage as did Pat Nixon." [2]
Pat Nixon, referring to herself and her travails, once said: "I do or I die, but I never cancel out."
Marriage and family
While in Whittier, Pat Ryan met a young lawyer fresh out of Duke University, named Richard "Dick" Nixon. The two became acquainted at a Little Theater group when they were cast together in The Dark Tower, a play so horrible that co-playwright Alexander Woollcott had it removed from his list of published works in Who's Who (UK). Dick courted Pat for some time, even driving her on dates with other beaus. They married at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California on June 21, 1940.
Dick Nixon served in the Navy during World War II. After a brief stint in Ottumwa, Iowa, she campaigned at his side in 1946 when he entered politics, running successfully for U.S. Congress.
That same year, she gave birth to daughter and namesake Patricia, usually called Tricia. In 1948, Pat had her second baby, Julie.
Within six years Pat saw her husband elected to the House, the United States Senate and the Vice Presidential ticket with Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Pat accompanied her husband abroad in his vice presidential years. On a trip to Venezuela, their car was pelted with rocks and they were spat upon. Despite the demands of official life, the Nixons were devoted parents to their two daughters. Pat Nixon had a reputation for warmth; for example, the November 1, 1958 Seattle Times said, describing a whole family stopover in Seattle while en route to Alaska: "Mrs. 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."
First Lady of the United States
One of Pat Nixon's major causes in the years that she lived at the White House was "volunteerism", as she called it. She spent hours answering all of her mail personally. Like Jacqueline Kennedy, she had an interest in adding artifacts to the Executive Mansion. In the end, Pat's work brought in over 600 paintings and furnishings into the White House Collection. Mrs. Nixon also 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.
When they entered the White House in 1969, the Nixons began a short-lived tradition of inviting families to non-denominational Sunday church services in the East Room of the White House. The President later discontinued these services due to concerns over the separation of Church and State.
Pat Nixon continued her practice of joining him on state visits during his Presidency. Her travels included the historic visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972 and the summit meetings in the Soviet Union.
Her first solo official trip involved taking relief supplies to earthquake victims in Peru. Later, she visited Africa and South America with the unique diplomatic standing of Personal Representative of the President.
Pat Nixon was not completely preoccupied with political duties, and was an avid fan of soap operas, Search for Tomorrow being her favorite. She was a big fan of actor Larry Haines. One day, when she was leaving an official White House function, she saw him walk past her. She was quoted later as excitedly whispering to her husband, "Look, dear, it's Stu Bergman. Stu from Search for Tomorrow".
In August 1974, President Nixon resigned office. As he made his resignation speech, Mrs. Nixon was upstairs in the residence packing for California. They left the White House on August 9, 1974 for San Clemente, California.
Later life
Pat Nixon was in failing health in retirement and suffered a stroke in 1976 and again in 1982. A long time heavy smoker, she also battled mouth cancer, emphysema and a degenerative spinal condition. She rarely appeared in public, never returned to the White House and gave no interviews. Her public life ended the day her husband resigned from the presidency.
In December 1992, while hospitalized with respiratory problems, the former First Lady was diagnosed with lung cancer.
She died at her home in Park Ridge, New Jersey at 5:45 am on June 22, 1993 at the age of 81 with her daughters and husband by her side, the day after her 53rd wedding anniversary. Former Presidents Reagan and Ford and their wives attended the funeral.
Her husband followed her in death exactly ten months later. She and the former President are buried at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California. Her epitaph reads: "Even when people can't speak your language, they can tell if you have love in your heart".