First Lady Pat Nixon: The Untold Story

to be just a small part of this convention that's going to nominate Richard Nixon for another four years in the White House lovely first lady Pat Nixon by his side she is one of the most intriguing figures in American history and accomplished an effective diplomat an ideal and an inspiration I give you the first lady of our land the first lady of our world Patricia Ryan Nixon [Applause] [Applause] I sincerely high-schooler your mother died mother early and then you had to take care of your father and you were on your own did you kind of take care of the family I did what I thought it was a pleasure because we all work together [Music] she rose from the humblest and harshest of beginnings to be voted one of the most admired women in the world for 22 years she said people are my project and she moved easily and eagerly among people who sensed her strength and felt her compassion she reshaped and expanded the roles of both the second and first lady mrs. Nixon was personally affected visiting hospitals and other institutions mrs. Nixon enjoyed the park herself even to the point of rolling in a few putts Pat Nixon truly experienced embodied and exemplified the American dream [Music] her story began in a cabin in the Copper Hills of Nevada late on the night before st. Patrick's Day March 16th 1912 she lost both her parents by 18 and went to work to pay the bills and keep her two brothers in school she never let her hardships limit or define her independent and adventurous in 1932 she answered an ad to drive an elderly couple across the country they were surprised that Pat Ryan was a girl but she got the job she stayed in New York and took a radiology course at Columbia University returning to California she enrolled at the University of Southern California when you went to college what you wanted to become I hadn't decided exactly except that I knew I wanted an education I didn't want to marry early or try to go up without the education which I felt was necessary to pay for her schooling she found work in a los angeles department store and as an extra in Hollywood films and I was offered a part but I decided not to drop out of school and in 1937 when only 1 in 10 women earned a four-year degree Pat Ryan graduated laude and with the equivalent of a master's degree after graduation she taught at Whittier High School where she met a young lawyer named Richard Nixon after World War two the young couple settled down and began a family Trisha was born in 1946 and Julie in 1948 when dick ran for Congress from California's 12th district Pat was an equal part and partner in the campaign and the formidable Nixon team was forged on their many travels she excelled as an ambassador on behalf of the American people she traveled to 81 countries and every state in the Union sharing her genuine warmth indomitable spirit and her compassionate strength she broke new ground as second lady wherever she went she insisted that her schedule include meetings with real people in real places the school's whorfin edges hospitals village markets in Panama she even visited a leper colony mrs. Nixon visited the palace echo leprous area where she toured under the personal guidance of its director she continued this custom as first lady in 1970 she brought relief supplies to the devastated country of Peru it is a signal honor for me to receive this decoration from the government of Peru I accepted for the people of the United States who are glad to lend a helping to their neighbors in distress Pat Nixon repeatedly broke the mold she was the first first lady to travel to Africa there and in South America she became the first first lady to serve as an official representative of the United States as she met the people and conferred with their leaders she was the first first lady to address another nation's Parliament and the first to enter an active combat zone Lucas Nixon took a helicopter ride 15 minutes out of Saigon to a war orphanage had to duck on the ground there would keep loads of soldiers who rode shotgun cover for it she brushed a thread official briefing because he couldn't have more time to see the truth when the President and First Lady visited China millions around the world saw that remote an isolated communist country for the first time through Pat Nixon's eyes her attention to detail and respect for cultural tradition was noted and appreciated from mastering basic Chinese phrases to choosing her now iconic red coat signifying good luck and happiness she was personally responsible for the Chinese gesture that captured the imagination of America the gift of two giant pandas to the National Zoo in Washington closer to home Pat Nixon actively encouraged women to run for public office she supported the Equal Rights Amendment lobbied her husband to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court and was the first first lady to wear pants in public Pat Nixon truly made the White House the people's house she was responsible for its being lighted at night a tradition that continues to this day she initiated rose garden tours and the candlelight Christmas tours and as part of the extensive White House renovations which she oversaw good afternoon and welcome to the beautiful new Blue Room of the White House installed wheelchair ramps pioneered special tours for the blind and acquired more than six hundred historic paintings antiques and furnishings more than any first lady before or since she was the most public of figures but she was intensely private and only a lucky few knew her fun-loving spirit and her sly sense of humor yes I do have a good laugh over the fact that I'm supposed to be shy her later years afforded Pat Nixon what she truly desired most time with her family including her four grandchildren Jenny Alex Melanie and Christopher she passed away surrounded by her family in June of 1993 Pat Nixon was as accomplished as she was modest as strong as she was warm although she spent nearly 50 years in the public eye she never sought the attention that came with her positions or activities even if people didn't know her they knew that they admired her niphas Nixon should not be underestimated when you think of Pat her husband of 53 years said I hope that you remembered the sunshine of her smile she would like that

Channel: Richard Nixon Foundation

Views: 37,658

Rating: 4.921824 out of 5

Keywords: Pat Nixon, First Lady, First Lady of the United States, documentary, educational, history

Id: oFBrars29Ns

Length: 8min 53sec (533 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 15 2018