HELEN MCCAIN SMITH: She was
just a happy-go-lucky person. Loved to get out. CHILDREN: 1, 2, 3. ROBERT PIERPOINT: I think she
was the perfect squelched wife. And she stuck by him. But I don't think she
was happy doing it. HELEN MCCAIN SMITH: You
could tell in her eyes how unhappy and sad she was. PATRICIA HITT: Whatever
hand was dealt her, she took it and made the
very best that she knew how to make all of her life. That was her philosophy. [applause] NARRATOR: Some politicians say
that with the end of the Nixon era came the end of the
perfect political spouse. Pat Nixon was always supportive,
always gentle, and always there quietly in the background with a
firm smile and a straight back. But if she seemed aloof
to the public sometimes, it was how this very private
woman steeled herself against a world that seemed
ever ready to attack the Nixons. In fact, Pat had a
fun-loving spirit. It was what she needed when
there was no other choice but to keep going. As a child growing up on
the farmlands of Southern California, Pat or
Buddy as she was known absorbed the work ethic
of her father, Will Ryan. Mr Ryan had been a copper miner
who chipped away at the Black Hills to eke out a living
for his growing family. Patricia Nixon was born Thelma
Catherine Ryan in a miner's shack in Ely, Nevada, on the eve
of St. Patrick's Day in 1912. Copper had brought
Will Ryan to Nevada where he met the demure Kate. He was 14 years older
than his German-born wife. And together, they had
three children-- two boys, Tom and Bill, and
daughter Thelma. His daughter would climb
into her father's lap and fall asleep to his
stories of faraway lands, places she dreamed
of visiting someday. [train whistle blows] For now, her only travel
was with her family to the Los Angeles
suburb of Artesia where the Ryans moved onto
a 10-acre plot of land. Mr. Ryan sought the safer
occupation of farming and raised produce
for the local markets. Their home had no electricity
or indoor plumbing. Work was in the Ryan blood. Each morning, Thelma and
her brothers, Tom and Bill, were in the fields before school
picking potatoes or tomatoes and corn. MYRTLE RAINE FRANZ: I never
did hear Pat complain. None of us complained. We all thought we were just
pretty lucky to be living and have what we had. We didn't know we was poor. NARRATOR: Thelma's childhood
of work and poverty made her tough, but it
did not make her bitter. PATRICIA HITT: She said
she thought it was probably one of the best things that
ever happened to her because she learned great respect
for people who worked. And she always had that. But I don't think Pat ever, ever
thought that it was a bad thing or it was an unfortunate thing. She looked on it as a blessing. NARRATOR: As a young girl
living in the country, the only adventure she saw
was what she and her friends created. MYRTLE RAINE FRANZ: We kind
of borrowed her brother's car. And once in a while, I
don't know what excuse we gave for being gone that long. But we'd go up into Los
Angeles and go to a show and see a vaudeville. And that was a real treat. That first show that I
think we all went to see was "Tiptoeing
Through the Tulips." NARRATOR: Thelma's pranks would
often be met with disapproval by her father. It was his temper
she most feared. Though Prohibition was
the law of the land, Mr. Ryan had the reputation
of dabbling in the drink. With too many drinks,
his temper would fly. MYRTLE RAINE FRANZ: You could
tell when Mr. Ryan was mad. You kind of were still
for a little while. I think he was pretty
strict with Pat. He really was, you know. Of course, we could get
away with a few things. He didn't know we did them. NARRATOR: It was Mrs. Ryan
who Thelma would turn to for comfort. And then without
warning, Mrs. Ryan became ill with liver cancer. Her only daughter would spend
night and day nursing her. Thelma's childhood
came to an abrupt end when her mother died. Just 13 years old, Thelma was
now the woman of the house. STEPHEN AMBROSE: The death
of Pat's mother thrust her into a responsibility
such as young people should never have to take on. She had to make house and
meals for her brothers and her father. She had to work from before
dawn until well after dark. And she did. She would tell herself, you
can't afford to get tired. NARRATOR: Despite
the odds, Thelma kept up with her
schoolwork, skipped a grade, and graduated high school in
1929 with her older brothers. Thelma's yearbook inscription
claimed that the Ryan brothers were their sister's
occupation and liability. The question now was what to
do with the rest of her life. PATRICIA HITT: I don't
think she had a dream. In those days, very
few women had goals. Now everybody sets a goal. That generation didn't. I don't think she ever
had a thought for herself. NARRATOR: Before she
had to make a choice, Thelma's father was
stricken with tuberculosis. His daughter cared for him while
she also worked in a local bank as a teller and as a janitor
to help pay the bills. And when Will Ryan died, Thelma
legally changed her name to Pat in memory of his Irish roots. For the first time
in her life, Pat was free to do as she wanted. When an elderly couple
asked her to drive them east across the United States,
Pat Ryan jumped at the chance for adventure. The year was 1930. And the largest roads
were double lane highways. There were few gas
stations and very little help on the roadways
when it was needed. Pat Ryan found herself changing
tires in the Rocky Mountains and navigating
little used byways. Pat did all the driving. And when the three
travelers finally arrived on the east coast,
Pat decided to stay. [music playing] As a single woman, Pat took full
advantage of the New York life. On one outing, a cruise around
the harbor of Manhattan, a scout from Paramount Pictures
chose Thelma Patricia Ryan to be one of their
personality girls. She might have been another Lana
Turner, a regular girl thrust into the movies because
of beauty and luck. But Pat Ryan turned
down the offer. She didn't want the spotlight. She did want an education. The sensible Pat left New
York and journeyed west by bus to join her brothers at
the University of Southern California. STEPHEN AMBROSE: When
she went to college, she worked in the
cafeteria at USC. And she worked in the library. And she took her courses. And she did wonderfully
well in her courses and graduated high
up in her class. NARRATOR: But Pat Ryan
was not a bookish type. She would spend hours with
her best friend driving around in a red convertible. When they needed
extra money, the girls leaned toward the
unconventional. They answered the call for movie
extras in nearby Hollywood. Pat was making more money
than she had ever known, $50 a month. But Pat found the
movie business boring. She decided that teaching would
offer a more stable income. She found a position that
offered the handsome sum of $1,800 a year. The 25-year-old Pat Ryan now
moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier, a Quaker community. It was small town living
again for the country girl. DOLORES ANDICOCHEA: I think the
population was around 8,000. We could go from one end
of town to the other. And if we were where we
weren't supposed to be, our parents knew about it
by the time we got home. NARRATOR: Miss Ryan,
as she would be known, signed a year contract
at Whittier High School to teach the commercial subjects
of bookkeeping and typing, usually girls'
courses at the time, but the boys couldn't
help noticing her, too. She was quite attractive. As a matter of fact, the boys
thought she was quite sexy. I was a boy of 17. And I was struck by her beauty. She had lovely eyes
and a soft voice. NARRATOR: Miss Ryan ran her
class as she did her life with an eye to perfection. She insisted the students
come to class on time, sit up straight, talk in quiet
voices, and no gum chewing. ROBERT LEWIS REDD: She never
raised her voice to anyone. But she could give you a look. And it was worth
a thousand words. And you knew you better
straighten up and fly right. It was just a-- and that's it. I mean, you know, just
a little all right. That's enough. NARRATOR: Whittier teachers
were encouraged to get involved in community activities. So during the winter
of 1938, Pat Ryan auditioned for the
local theater company and won a role as an ingenue. Also in the production
was Whittier's young assistant district
attorney, Richard Milhous Nixon. Nixon was so taken with
the red-haired Miss Ryan that he quickly arranged to
chauffeur Pat and a friend to rehearsals. STEPHEN AMBROSE: And he
came by and picked her up. And he said, now, I
don't want you to laugh. But you'd better go out with me
because I'm telling you what. I'm going to marry you someday. And she just laughed at that. NARRATOR: Nixon kept asking Pat
out until finally she said yes. Pat soon found she had much in
common with the young attorney. They enjoyed reading, taking
walks, and dreaming of seeing the world beyond Whittier. Both had grown up with
bad-tempered fathers and so disliked emotional scenes. But the two wrote each
other many letters. And in these, Dick let
his romantic nature out. JULIE NIXON EISENHOWER:
"When the wind-- winds blow, and the
rains fall, and the sun shines through the
clouds as it is now, I still resolve as I did
then that nothing so fine ever happened to
me or anyone else as falling in love with
thee, my dearest heart. Love, Dick." NARRATOR: In March of 1940,
Nixon mentioned marriage again to Pat. This time she didn't laugh. She said yes. Pat chipped in for her ring. And on June 21, the
two were married in front of a small group
of family and friends. Pat Ryan was 28, Dick Nixon 27. Within just a few
years of her marriage, Pat would find herself very far
from Whittier and from the life she had always imagined. In the spring of 1941,
28-year-old Pat Ryan had become Mrs. Richard Nixon. But she would not have
much time with her husband before they were
separated by World War II. The attack on Pearl Harbor had
brought America into the war. When Dick heard that
the Navy needed lawyers, he enlisted with
his wife's blessing. At the end of 1943, Pat
watched her husband sail out of San Francisco Harbor. Pat remained in the
Golden Gate city where she found an apartment and
a well-paying government job. She missed her
husband but otherwise was quite content
to be on her own. When Dick wrote that
he was coming home, Pat worried that perhaps she
had become too self-reliant. Her doubts vanished as soon
as she saw her husband. And the couple quickly settled
back into life together. Soon after his return,
the ambitious Dick Nixon decided to run for Congress. A month into the campaign, Pat
gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Patricia. Only nine days after the baby's
birth, Pat was back at work. She stayed up all
night with Tricia and worked all day for
her husband's campaign. PATRICIA HITT: Lord only knows
how many hot cups of coffee that girl drank in her
lifetime or cups of tea at separate coffee klatches
or teas with women for-- for campaigns. NARRATOR: With his wife's help,
Richard Nixon won the election by 20,000 votes. Pat, Dick, and Tricia
now moved across country and settled in a small
apartment near Capitol Hill. The move to Washington
would be more than an address change for Pat. With her husband's entrance
into political life, the entire nature of
her marriage changed. Gone were the walks on
the beach, the vacations, the carefree moments. Pat saw less and
less of her husband, and he shared little
of his work with her. I really think that the
balance in their marriage shifted somewhat when my
father was elected to Congress. In the past, he'd always
sought her opinions. She was right in there
with him making decisions, discussing things. But my father really looked
at politics as a man's world. And he's the type
who wants to shield his wife, his family from that. And so he didn't really want her
in on his political decisions. NARRATOR: In 1948, Pat gave
birth to her second daughter, Julie. Pat now let her
husband know that she was unhappy with his
heavy work schedule. He promised to spend
more time at home. But that promise would be broken
almost as soon as it was made. Freshman Congressman
Richard Nixon was spearheading the campaign
to prove that former State Department official Alger
Hiss was a communist. Hiss's liberal supporters
considered the Nixon investigation a witch hunt. Pat was shaken by
the strong criticism of her husband in the press
and by other politicians. Years later, she would
still point to the Hiss case as the beginning of
their political problems. JULIE NIXON
EISENHOWER: She said, I want to make one
thing clear to you. She said, the reason that
people have gone after Daddy is that from the time
of the Alger Hiss case, they realized that no one could
control him, not the lobbyists, not the politicians,
not the press. And from that time on,
he became a target. NARRATOR: Much to her
dismay, Pat's husband continued to rise in
the Republican ranks. When Dwight Eisenhower chose
Richard Nixon as his running mate in 1952, Pat pleaded with
Dick to turn down the offer. Though Pat was Dick's
strongest supporter, she longed to return
to a more private life. In the end, Dick couldn't
say no to politics. And Pat couldn't say
no to her husband. In the fall of 1952, she
found herself caught up in the whirlwind of a
presidential campaign. ED NIXON: Pat's private
nature always spoke up. But she always put it aside and
said, all right, let's do it. But if we're going to do it,
let's win, that sort of thing. [cheering] I can only say
goodnight to you. But I believe in
the American dream because I have seen it
come true in my own life. BOB DOLE: That's a
tough act, you know, going to go out there. And you've heard the
speech for 35 times and the same old jokes. And you got to get that look
like you've never heard this before. And this is, oh,
what a great thing. So I thought she did
a pretty good job. NARRATOR: Not everyone thought
as highly of Richard Nixon as his wife. In the fall of 1952,
newspapers accused him of profiting from a secret
financial fund set up by California businessmen. Nixon decided to reveal
his personal finances to the country on
live television. Pat argued against it,
saying, aren't we entitled to a little privacy? But Nixon was desperate. And as always, Pat
stood by her man. STEPHEN AMBROSE: About two
minutes before the cameras were to go on, he turned to Pat. And he said, I can't do it. I can't go through this. Oh, yes, you can, she said. Now you've got to. You are here by choice. And this is the
right thing to do. And you've got to do it. And he did it. Let me say this. I don't believe that I ought
to quit because I am not a quitter. And incidentally,
Pat's not a quitter. After all, her name
was Patricia Ryan. And she was born on
St. Patrick's Day. And you know the
Irish never quit. NARRATOR: The Checkers speech as
it became known may have saved her husband's political life. But it also deepened
Pat's dislike of the political process and
her distrust of the press. The Eisenhower-Nixon ticket
went on to win the election. Now, the private Pat Nixon
had a very public role as the wife of the
Vice President. There were countless state
dinners to host and to attend and official trips to go on. Pat hated spending time
away from her daughters. On the eve of each trip, she
was always torn between her duty to her husband and her
devotion to her children. REX SCOUTEN: It was very
evident she missed them very much and worried about
them all the time and kept in touch as
close as she possibly could in those days with them. No. It was a terrible, terrible,
terrible strain for her. She did not like that one bit
to be separated from them. NARRATOR: So Pat made
the most of her time with Tricia and Julie. She sewed their
Halloween costumes, made them cinnamon toast
and cocoa as a study snack, and tried to shield them
from any political traumas. That would become more
difficult as time went on. I accept your nomination for
President of the United States. [cheering] NARRATOR: It seemed natural
that after two terms as vice president, Richard Nixon would
be the Republican Party's choice for presidential
candidate in 1960. The race against John F.
Kennedy remained close right through election night. But by the early
morning, Richard Nixon was ready to concede. Results still to come in, if
the present trend continues, Mr. Kennedy, Senator Kennedy,
will be the next President of the United States. [crowd roars] NARRATOR: It was
one of the few times that Pat let her
anguish show in public. The strain and
disappointment were obvious on her tearful face as
she stood beside her husband that night. After the bitter
loss, Pat was relieved to return to California
and a private life. One friend commented that he
had never seen Pat happier. She loved being out
of the public eye. But if Pat Nixon was out of
politics, her husband wasn't. In 1962, he was approached
about running for governor of California. Pat could not bear the
thought of another campaign. And she told her husband
that in no uncertain terms. STEPHEN AMBROSE: But
what happened was, no matter how often she
told him, no, this is it, I'm not going to do any
more of these politics, his will was stronger than hers. He was perhaps the only man in
the country who had a will that could stand up to Pat's
and-- and defeat hers. NARRATOR: Thus, in 1962, Pat
had lost the test of wills. And once again, she
went out campaigning. And on Election Night, she
watched her husband concede another election. This time, she could not
stand on the podium with him. Dick Nixon faced his
supporters and the press alone. You will now write it. You will interpret it. That's your right. But as I leave you, I want you
to know just think how much you're going to be missing. You don't have Nixon
to kick around anymore. NARRATOR: Watching
upstairs in a hotel room, Pat shouted bravo when she
heard her husband's attack on the press. It now seemed that Pat would
finally have the private life she craved. But before the decade was
out, Pat would once again become the smiling woman
behind the man on the podium. So help me God. NARRATOR: If Pat Nixon
had a dream at age 51, it was to have a
happy family life and to live outside of
the public scrutiny. By 1963, it looked like her
dream was finally coming true. Richard Nixon's
bid for President and his run for
California governor had both ended in losses. Politics was now something
of the past for Pat Nixon. In July, the Nixons moved to
Pat's favorite town, New York City. They bought an apartment at
the tony address of 510 Fifth Avenue. It was the first
time in 17 years that Pat did not have to
consider what the public thought of her and her family. HELEN THOMAS: One of the
happiest moments I really saw her, I was in New York. And she-- ran into her
on the Fifth Avenue bus. And she had her two
little daughters with her at that time. And they were going
to an art museum. And she was all smiles. You know, free at last,
one had that sense. NARRATOR: It was easy for Pat to
stay away from politics but not for Dick. In the mid-'60s with
the Cold War raging and America's involvement in
the Vietnam War a foregone conclusion, Richard Nixon
felt there was only one man for the job of President
of the United States. That man was Richard Nixon. Pat did not want to
give up her life. But Dick's drive would win
over her need for privacy. What's more, he needed her
support in order to run. And she gave it to him but not
as she had in past elections. Pat refused to give speeches,
but she would smile and wave. And still, the crowds loved her. PATRICIA HITT: Well, Pat
was very much beloved. As a matter of fact, when
he would-- oftentimes, he'd go someplace and make a
speech, if Pat wasn't with him, everybody wanted to
know where's Pat? And we even organized
Pat For First Lady. There were great, big buttons. NARRATOR: The pressure of
campaigning never let up. There was always the reminder
of the losses of 1960 and 1962. The humiliation of defeat
was possible again. The close race between
Nixon and Hubert Humphrey would be played out
to the last minute. Nixon was finally declared
the winner in the early hours of the morning. Pat was now First Lady
of the United States. Her words could not
express her relief that they had won because her
husband would barely let her. REPORTER: Mrs. Nixon, you
haven't been heard from yet. Could we-- could we
have your feelings on this dramatic moment? PAT NIXON: Well, I can just say
that it's been a tremendously exciting time. And we're very tired because
it's late, but we're happy. RICHARD NIXON: Can I
add one word there? I personally think when I
talk about my campaign team that nobody has ever
had a family team that was of a greater assistance
than the Nixon family, I can say that. So thank you. NARRATOR: As first
lady, Pat would now have to deal with the
press on a regular basis. She was often seen
as a woman who would smile through anything
but had little to say. The press had two
words for her-- plastic Pat. And some saw her husband
behind this behavior. ROBERT PIERPOINT: I think
that Richard Nixon influenced her personality to the point
where he almost extinguished it. He had instilled in
her such a rigid regime of how her life was to be and
a great fear of reporters. She had to be this doll-like
figure who sat and looked with worshipful eyes on him
as he gave his speeches. And I don't think that
in all of the years that-- that I covered him
as President that she ever evidenced any degree of
emotion or of genuine feeling when he was around. NARRATOR: If Pat could not
fully be herself in public, she still yearned
to be out in public. And she took the opportunity
whenever possible. But as the wife
of the president, freedom took some planning. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. HELEN MCCAIN SMITH: You know,
that she was used to being-- being able to do her own thing
whenever she wanted to do it. And of course, you can't
do that as First Lady. You have to let the Secret
Service know where you're going. You know, you're rather
caged in the White House. You can't get out without having
the Secret Service around. And-- and when we'd escape,
we'd-- we'd get out without the Secret Service
and sneak out, which I suppose was
not really right. But however, I thought
it was good for her to get out occasionally. And she loved it. She was just a
happy-go-lucky person. Loved to get out. NARRATOR: Since getting
out was so difficult, Pat decided to bring
more people in. She opened the White
House in the evening hours during the Christmas
season so that people who work during the day could
enjoy the decorations also. You know, my husband was going
to break a little piece off this morning to eat. And I said, don't you dare. [laughter] [music playing] NARRATOR: Pat also tried to
make the White House a home for her two grown daughters. Julie was now married to law
student David Eisenhower. And in 1971, Tricia
married Ed Cox. For Pat, it was a chance
to spend precious time with her daughter planning what
would be one of the family's happiest times. HELEN THOMAS: Oh, it was
a wonderful time, really. You saw the President and
Mrs. Nixon dancing together. I mean, it was-- it was a moment of joy that you
really see It was a wedding. And everybody fell into
line and saw the Nixons very happy as a couple. NARRATOR: The Nixons
threw many parties, and Pat was the ultimate
gracious hostess. But she looked forward to
the nights coming to an end. Her days were long, beginning
at 7:30 in the morning and lasting well into the night. HELEN MCCAIN SMITH: She'd call
me up sometimes at nighttime and say, oh, Helen, such and
such a party is over now. I can kick off my shoes and
relax, have a cigarette, and-- and relax and really-- really relax. And she could--
she could do that. NARRATOR: Pat Nixon would
never do anything she thought would be perceived as improper
behavior for the first lady like drink or smoke in public. [applause] PATRICIA HITT: She
never in all of her life did anything anybody
could criticize. And it wasn't because
she was perfect I christen thee
the USS California. [cheering] PATRICIA HITT: Because
she wasn't give anybody the satisfaction of telling
others of this being publicized that she did something
that maybe wasn't really as nice as it might be. NARRATOR: Pat Nixon was
always on guard, particularly with the people who
worked for her husband, especially Dick's chief
of staff HR Haldeman. Haldeman tried to keep Pat from
joining her husband on trips abroad. HELEN MCCAIN SMITH: Haldeman
was very stiff and cold. I don't know. He was-- he was very
critical of Mrs. Nixon and really didn't want her
around when she should have been around. Well, I think he was
honestly a little bit jealous of the attention
that Mrs. Nixon got. NARRATOR: Despite
Haldeman's attempts, Pat Nixon would become the most
widely traveled First Lady, visiting 74 countries. She accompanied her husband
on most of his state visits. And she was seen as a
breath of fresh air. There was no mention of
Plastic Pat on those trips. PATRICIA HITT: She got a
lot more attention abroad than she did at home. But she was doing it
with exotic places. And-- and all the time, he was
holding high level statesmen like meetings, Pat was out in
the country with the people. And the Russian
women had two people they thought were wonderful-- Nat King Cole and Pat Nixon. She was a big hit
in China, for sure. [non-english speech] I told her that Zhou
Enlai, the foreign minister, was flirting with her. And she-- I think she
kind of liked that. And it was really true. NARRATOR: Pat Nixon did not
need her husband as her calling card. She traveled on her own and
was welcomed with open arms and with 21-gun salutes. She was seeing the world
as she had always wanted. ROBERT PIERPOINT: And, all
of a sudden, she came alive. She was on her own. She was an entirely
different person. She was like the
real Pat Ryan Nixon that I had known at
Whittier High School. [music playing] NARRATOR: By 1972, Pat Nixon had
won over enough of the public to be a real asset
to Richard Nixon's third presidential campaign. At the Republican
convention, Pat was heralded as a
supportive wife and mother. Well, I certainly can say this
is the most wonderful welcome I've ever had and for those-- [applause] Thank you very much. Thank you. NARRATOR: Pat never
liked the spotlight. And it would be her husband's
second term as president when the oft whispered word
Watergate would bring more attention than
ever to the Nixons. Pat would be faced
with having to protect her family and herself. Her grit and strength would be
tested as it never had before. By the spring of 1974,
62-year-old Pat Nixon was halfway through her
second term as First Lady. The Watergate scandal
now dominated the news. And once again, Pat found
herself defending her husband. HELEN THOMAS: Think she just
was suffering because one shoe after another was falling. And the inevitability,
the inexorability of this Greek
tragedy, was there. And she-- this was a very,
very perceptive woman. She paid a heavy price obviously
because she loves her husband. NARRATOR: In typical style,
Pat did not show her despair. She continued the normal
business of being First Lady. HELEN MCCAIN SMITH: She went
on, carried on, and very bravely because she felt that
this was the thing to do. It was her job as long as
she was in the White House. And she was going to do it. NARRATOR: Pat did
alter one habit. For years, she had read
several newspapers each morning with her toast and tea. Now she couldn't bear to read
the attacks on her husband. Pat never faltered in her
defense of her husband. She believed that he could do
great things for the country. Yet, it seemed to
observers at the time that Richard Nixon did not
return Pat's affection. And in fact, he often seemed
to snub her in public. ROBERT PIERPOINT: I never saw
Richard Nixon as vice president or as president ever
pay any attention to her except in the most abrupt
and almost rehearsed manner. He never seemed to
show her any warmth. Once in a while, he
would, in a public speech, say something about "my wife,
Pat" and look over and gesture. And that was it. NARRATOR: Those who
knew the Nixons say that the lack of
public affection came from a natural reserve,
not a lack of feeling. BETTY FORD: They could
tease each other. And they loved to tell
funny stories for the crowd or however. They were-- they were very
considerate of each other. PATRICIA HITT: They neither of
them were demonstrative people. So they did not walk
along holding hands. With him, I think that was
partly the Quaker thing. With Pat, she was just
a reserved person. I began by telling
the president that there was a cancer
growing on the presidency. NARRATOR: As
Watergate heated up, Pat urged her husband
to fight, fight, fight. So told him. I welcome this
kind of examination because people have got
to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook. NARRATOR: She hated the thought
of letting their enemies win. And it was Pat who held
the family together. I believe the time has come
to bring that investigation and the other investigations
of this matter to an end. NARRATOR: By August of 1974,
it was clear that Richard Nixon had only one choice-- to leave office. On August 7, he told
his daughter Julie that he was going to
resign the next day. It was Julie who broke
the news to her mother. JULIE NIXON EISENHOWER: Well,
we just hugged very lightly. And we knew that if
we really embraced that we'd both broke down. And she-- you know, the
tears stood in her eyes. And I don't think
she said anything. NARRATOR: After
these brief tears, Pat waited until the
staff was at lunch, then went to the storage
room, got some boxes, and began packing. [applause] The morning the
Nixons were to leave, their staff gathered in the
East Room for a farewell. Pat expected it to be the last
private moment with the people who had become her friends. She was shocked and dismayed to
find out that her husband had allowed the press to attend. ED NIXON: She really
would have preferred not to have to go out. But she knew that her whole
life was backing up this man to the hilt all the way,
always there right behind him, sturdy rudder. We'll proceed. We'll still win. We'll still survive. RICHARD NIXON: And so we leave
with high hopes in good spirit and with deep humility. JULIE NIXON EISENHOWER: And
what was even more difficult was than what my mother, she
couldn't look out at the faces because these are people
who had really worked, believed in the administration,
had done good things for the country, and-- and, you know, and here--
here was how it all ended. It was really a tragedy. [music playing] NARRATOR: After the speech, the
Nixons walked with the Fords to the helicopter
that would take them on the first leg of their
journey home to California. Pat remained
gracious to the end. BETTY FORD: Well, she
put her arm around me in her wonderful,
loving, caring way. And we walked toward
the helicopter. There was a red carpet down. And she said,
Betty, you're going to see lots of these
red carpets from now on. So you better get used to them. And it was kind of a quick
little smile and a wink as if it's OK. And I was very moved
by the whole thing. NARRATOR: As their helicopter
took off and circled the Washington
Monument one last time, Pat whispered, "It's so sad. So sad." [music playing] After the intense public
scrutiny of the last months of the presidency, Pat Nixon was
relieved to simply walk along the San Clemente beach
and work in her garden. Only a month after
the resignation, Richard Nixon once again
needed his wife's full support when he suffered
a life-threatening bout of phlebitis. Then in 1976, Pat herself,
the woman who rarely got sick, suffered a major
stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side. STEPHEN AMBROSE: I think
it is fair to say that the resignation and the
opprobrium that was heaped on Nixon put her in a position
where she was under great stress and couldn't-- couldn't manage. Pat Nixon couldn't manage. NARRATOR: Pat was determined
to regain full use of her arm and leg. It would be a difficult
and slow process even for someone with Pat's will. ED NIXON: Everybody said,
well, that's it for Pat. Not so. She got it all back. And frail, but still
her mind was clear and determined as ever. NARRATOR: It took several years,
but Pat Nixon finally conquered the effects of the stroke. And in the last years of her
life, as the pain of Watergate dimmed, Pat Nixon would finally
have the peaceful family life she had always wanted. Pat Nixon's life after Watergate
centered on her family. And in 1981, she
and Dick moved back east to be closer to their
daughters and grandchildren. Pat's greatest joy was spending
time with those she loved. Since she rarely left
her New Jersey home, Pat decided to give up her
Secret Service protection in 1984. Pat was thrilled that now
for the first time in some 20 years, she could conduct her
life without being watched. PATRICIA MATSON: I remember a
wonderful conversation with her in which she was reflecting how
wonderful it had been to raise her two children, and
how much pleasure and joy her grandchildren gave
her, and that she felt it was a very peaceful and
a happy and contented time of her life. NARRATOR: Though Pat
was emotionally content, her physical health
continued to deteriorate. Her first stroke in 1976
had triggered a number of other health problems,
including bronchitis and pneumonia. Pat Nixon now rarely
went out in public. She made two
exceptions-- the opening of her husband's library in 1990
and the opening of the Reagan library in 1991. On both occasions,
old friends were concerned by Pat's appearance. BETTY FORD: Everybody
worried about Pat because her health was
not real good although she was a very strong woman. And physically, she
had great stamina. But most of us felt she was
very frail and worried terribly about what all she
could keep up with. NARRATOR: As time went on,
Pat suffered with emphysema and lung cancer, both
the result of her years as a smoker in private. On June 21 of 1993,
the Nixon family gathered around her sickbed to
celebrate Pat and Dick's 53rd wedding anniversary. Just hours later, Pat
Nixon lapsed into a coma. She died the next day
at age 81 surrounded by the family she loved. Several days later,
some 200 people gathered at the
Richard Nixon Library in California for Pat's funeral. It was finally clear
to all how much Pat had meant to her husband. [music playing] Pat was buried on the
grounds of the library. At the reception
afterwards, Richard Nixon spoke about his wife. ED NIXON: He started
talking about Pat. And the strength
of her character is what made him succeed and
kept him from dying when he had seemingly failed. The full measure of her-- their life together and
all she had done for him, I think the realization
was there finally. NARRATOR: Richard Nixon would
pass away less than one year later. For some 20 years, Pat Nixon was
listed as one of America's most admired women. Though few people knew
the real Pat Nixon, her warmth and integrity were
clear to all who met her. Well, she was a
very strong person. She really was. If she set her mind
to doing something, she was going to do it
come hell or high water. [laughs] She really would. She-- she was a
remarkable woman. PATRICIA MATSON: It is very
difficult in this age of media saturation and
television confessionals to think about the dignity
and poise and quiet assurance of a woman who didn't
need an adoring press, who didn't need large crowds
being raised for her, who simply really understood the
responsibility of being First Lady and enjoyed it and was able
to balance that with raising a family and-- and giving in the
way that she felt comfortable giving to the
United States of America. [music playing]
