![\"\"](\"http:\/\/jimmy.ekota.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/NIxon.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHe\u2019s certainly not the only one, but the first name to come to mind is Richard Nixon. It\u2019s undeniable that Nixon did some good things, but the gravity of the \u201cbad\u201d things he was responsible for outweighed the good. While Nixon is noted primarily for the Watergate scandal and being the only president to resign from office, like most people, there are a few things that are interesting about him\u2026. both as a president and a man\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Nixon was the first American President to visit both China and the Soviet Union \u2014 and \u2014 he was also the first to visit all 50 states while he was in office.
Nixon was a Quaker \u2014 as a boy, Nixon went to Quaker meetings four times on Sundays and played the piano at church services. He enrolled at Whittier College, a Quaker institution, and attended mandatory chapel for hours each day.
Nixon was a fairly accomplished musician \u2014 Nixon\u2019s mother insisted he practice on the family\u2019s upright piano every afternoon and although he never learned to read music, Nixon could also play the saxophone, clarinet, accordion and violin. His musical talent turned out to be a political assed \u2014 his appearance on \u201cThe Jack Paar Show\u201d in 1963, during which he played a tune he wrote, helped rehabilitate his image after losing the California gubernatorial election the prior year.
Nixon graduated 2nd in his class at Whittier College and 3rd in his class at Duke University School of Law.
Nixon was elected to Congress in 1946 and re-elected in 1948 \u2014 he led the House Un-American Activities Committee investigation of Soviet spy Alger Hiss. Hiss was later sent to prison for perjury.
Dwight Eisenhower selected Nixon as his VP running mate in 1952 \u2014 they won the election and were re-elected in 1956.
The famous \u201ckitchen debate\u201d with Russian Premier Khrushchev occurred during Nixon\u2019s visit to Moscow to open the U.S. Trade Fair in 1959.
In 1960, Nixon lost the Presidential election to JFK by only 113,000 votes \u2014 it\u2019s still the closest election in history.\u00a0
Nixon was elected President in 1968, defeating Hubert Humphrey.
In 1970, Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency.
Nixon sought to improve relations with China by becoming the first President to meet with Chinese leaders in Peking in 1972. That same year he became the first American President to make an official visit to the Soviet Union.
In 1973, Nixon hosted the largest dinner ever held at the White House to welcome the American POWs from Vietnam home.
In 1974, Nixon resigned from the Presidency due to the events surrounding Watergate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though he is the only President to resign from office, according to the latest survey of presidential historians, that rated U.S. Presidents worst to best based on their performances while in the White House, Nixon came in at number 29.
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I watched part of the January 6 hearings yesterday \u2014 I found them disturbing, for a number of reasons, but that\u2019s not what I\u2019m going to blog about today. This isn\u2019t the first and, sadly, probably not the last time … Continue reading