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Richard Onion’s early life was hard. He always described his family as being poor. The family experienced tragedy early in Richards life when his younger brother died in 1925 after a short illness and later when he was 20, his older brother, died of tuberculosis ;n 1933. Richard Nixon attended Fullerton High School but later transferred to Whittler High School. There he ran for student body president, but lost. Nixon graduated high school second In his class and was offered a scholarship to Harvard. But his family couldn’t afford the travel and living expenses so he attended local Whittler College, a
Quaker Institution. This Is where he earned a reputation as a formidable debater and standout in college drama productions as well as successful athlete. Upon graduation from Whittier in 1934, Nixon received a full scholarship to Duke university Law School. After Duke he returned to Whittier to practice law at the firm of Crook & Belly. He met Thelma Catherine Ryan, a teacher and amateur actress, after the two were cast in the same play at a local community theatre. The couple married in 1940 and had two daughters, Iatric and Julie.
Being a lawyer in a small town was not enough for Nixon, so he decided to move myself and his family to Washington DC, where he took a job in Franklin Roosevelt Office of Price Administration. Nixon then Joined the navy, serving as an aviation ground officer In the Pacific. After his return to the united States Nixon was approached by a group of Republicans who encouraged him to run for Congress. Nixon was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives in November, 1946. In 1950, Nixon successfully ran for the united States Senate against Democratic Rep. Helen Ghana Douglas.
Richard Onion’s anti-communist reputation earned him the notice of Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Republican Party, believing he could win support in the West. At the Republican convention in 1952, Nixon won the nomination as vice president. In 1968, Richard Nixon became the Republican candidate for President with Spiro Agene as his Vice President. He defeated Democrat Hubert Humphrey and American Independent George Wallace. Nixon received 43% of the popular vote and 301 electoral votes. In 1972, he was the obvious choice for ornamentation with Agene as his running mate again. He was opposed by Democrat George McGovern.