| Pat Nixon Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 5 in |
| Weight | 52 kg |
| Date of Birth | March 16, 1912 |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Date of Death | June 22, 1993 |
Pat Nixon was an American teacher and socialite who served as the second lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 as the wife of Vice President Richard Nixon and as the first lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974 as the wife of President Richard Nixon.
Born Name
Thelma Catherine Ryan
Other Names
Pat, Buddy, Starlight, Patricia, Pat Nixon
Age
She was born on March 16, 1912.
Died
On June 22, 1993, Pat Nixon died of lung cancer at the age of 81 at her home in Park Ridge, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.
Resting Place
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Yorba Linda, California, United States
Sun Sign
Pisces
Born Place
Ely, White Pine County, Nevada, United States
Residence
She resided in Park Ridge, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.
Nationality
Education
Pat Nixon studied at Excelsior High School and graduated in 1929. After that, she enrolled at Fullerton College and paid for her education by working odd jobs, including working as a driver, a pharmacy manager, a telephone operator, and a typist.
She joined the University of Southern California (USC) in the year 1931 and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in merchandising in 1937. She also earned a certificate to teach at the high school level, which USC deemed equivalent to a master’s degree.
Occupation
Teacher, Socialite, Second lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961, First lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974
Family
- Father – William M. Ryan Sr. (Sailor, Gold Miner, Truck Farmer)
- Mother – Katherine Halberstadt
- Siblings – William Jr. (1910–1997) (Older Brother), Thomas (1911–1992) (Older Brother), Neva Bender (1909–1981) (Older Maternal Half-Sister), Matthew Bender (1907–1973) (Older Maternal Half-Brother)
- Others – Francis Nixon (Father-In-Law) (Businessperson), Hannah Milhous Nixon (Mother-In-Law), Harold Nixon (Brother-In-Law), Edward Nixon (Brother-In-Law) (Entrepreneur), Donald Nixon (Brother-In-Law)
Political Party
Republican
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 5 in or 165 cm
Weight
52 kg or 114.5 lbs
Boyfriend / Spouse
Pat Nixon dated –
- Robert Taylor (1934) – She had a fling with actor Robert Taylor in 1934.
- Richard Nixon (1938-1993) – In 1938, she met Richard Nixon who was a young lawyer who had recently graduated from the Duke University School of Law. They fell in love and he asked her to marry him the first night they went out. Recalling the meeting, Pat said, “I thought he was nuts or something!”. On June 21, 1940, they got married at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California. They were blessed with 2 daughters named Tricia Nixon (b. February 21, 1946) and Julie Nixon (b. July 5, 1948). The couple remained together until Pat’s death in 1993.
Race / Ethnicity
White
Pat Nixon was of Irish descent on her father’s side and has German roots on her mother’s side.
Hair Color
Auburn
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
High cheekbones
Pat Nixon Facts
- Her father nicknamed her ‘Pat’ because she was born on the day before Saint Patrick’s Day.
- In 1924, her mother passed away due to cancer when she was just 12 years old. After 5 years, her father died of silicosis.
- After graduating from the University of Southern California (USC), Pat Nixon accepted a position as a high school teacher at Whittier Union High School in Whittier, California.
- When talking about her, a high school professor once noted that she “stood out from the empty-headed, overdressed little sorority girls of that era like a good piece of literature on a shelf of cheap paperbacks”.
- Pat Nixon was cast as an extra in the 1936 musical drama film The Great Ziegfeld, starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Luise Rainer.
- She played Thelma Ryan in the 1936 romantic comedy film Small Town Girl. However, her role went uncredited.
- Pat Nixon once said, “I have sacrificed everything in my life that I consider precious in order to advance the political career of my husband.”
Featured Image by White House photo office / narademo.umiacs.umd.edu / Public Domain
