Manuel Gutierrez - Who Was Richard Nixon?

Richard Milhous Nixon was born on January 9, 1913, on a small farm in Yorba Linda, California. His mother, Hannah, was very strict. She didnt think it was right to drink alcohol, dance, or swear. All his life, Richard would call his mother a saint. But she was a quiet, cold woman who never showed her children much affection.

Nixon family, 1917

Richards father, Frank, was the opposite. Frank Nixon had never gone to high school. He was a loud man who bullied his sons. But he loved to discuss politics with young Richard.

Richard had four brothers. Two of them died young from illnesses. Richard, the second oldest, was extremely smart. His teachers skipped him ahead from first grade to third.

He also loved music from an early age. He took piano and violin lessons, and he later learned to play the clarinet, saxophone, and accordion.

When the family farm failed, the Nixons moved to Whittier, California. Richard was nine at the time. His father opened a gas station and grocery store in town. Every day before school, Richard had to get up at four to buy vegetables for the store.

In high school, Richard got excellent grades. He tried hard to fit in. But he was shy, clumsy, and not very popular.

The one thing Richard excelled at was public speaking. He was a star of the debate team. In a debate two people take opposing sides in discussing an important issue. He also had a part in the school play.

After high school, Richard was accepted at one of the best colleges in the countryHarvard University. But his family couldnt afford it. So Richard stayed home and attended Whittier College instead. The students from the richest families belonged to a club called the Franklin Society. When Richard tried to join it, the Franklins rejected him.

Hurt by being snubbed, Richard formed his own club. In those days, black students were almost never accepted in clubs run by white students. But Richards club made sure everyone was welcome.

After graduation, Richard got a full scholarship to attend Duke University School of Law in North Carolina. The beautiful buildings on campus looked like castles to him. He didnt live in a fancy dorm, though. He lived in a shack with no heat and no bathroom!

Duke University School of Law

Richard had to work hard in law school. And he graduated in the top of his class.

Nevertheless, when he went to New York City to apply for a job, all the best law firms turned him down. Why? He hadnt gone to an Ivy League schoollike Harvard or Yale. Once again, Richard was being snubbed. He never got over how it felt to be rejected by one group and then another.

In 1937, Richard went home to Whittier and fell into a slump. Now what? How could a smart young man make a name for himself if no one would give him a chance?

CHAPTER 2

Toughening Up

Richard Nixon was a fighter at heart, so pretty soon he was back on his feet. Nixon believed that it didnt matter how many times he got knocked down. What mattered was getting up again.

He got a job at a law firm in Whittier. In a little more than a year, he was a partner with his name on the door. He became well known in town and well respected.

For fun, he got involved with an amateur theater group. One day, he saw a beautiful redhead named Pat Ryan. Richard fell in love with her and asked her out on a date.