Hail to the Chief's Wife #8: Pat Nixon Quiz

Answer: She was born just a few hours before St. Patrick's Day

Her Irish father William Ryan gave her the nickname when she was born in the evening of March 16, 1912. The family moved to Artesia, California (now Cerritos) when she was one. Pat had a self-described "hard scrabble" life that included working on the family farm, her mother dying when she was 12 and her father dying just five years later.

Note: unless otherwise stated, information for this and other questions/interesting information is from Mrs. Nixon's obituary in the New York Times (June 23, 1993) and the National First Ladies Library (www.firstladies.org/biographies).

Answer: High school teacher

Pat won a scholarship to USC after stints working as an x-ray technician and secretary.

The quote in the question is from Dr. Frank Baxter in a Time magazine article of February 29, 1960. She taught at Whittier High School, the small town in southern California where she met Richard Nixon, after graduating cum laude from USC.

Answer: At auditions for a community theater play

They both were cast in the Whittier Community Player's production of "The Dark Tower." In her New York Times obituary it is stated that Nixon proposed the night they met. She thought "he was crazy." She referred to her husband as "Dick."

Answer: True

As a business teacher, Pat was well-trained in many office skills, including shorthand. Throughout her husband's nine political races she not only wrote and critiqued his speeches, she also typed much of his campaign literature herself, then distributed it personally.

Answer: Fight back

Though her reticence as a political spouse was well known, Pat Nixon was fiercely loyal to her husband. It was her urging to fight the charges against him which eventually led to the famous televised "Checkers Speech", so named as it referred to the dog given as a gift to his daughters. Pat stood by his side during the televised speech as he spoke of his wife's "fighting Irish spirit."

Answer: Renovating the Vice-President's official residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory

Pat Nixon was so effective at spreading American goodwill throughout the world that President Dwight Eisenhower specifically requested she accompany her husband on his overseas duties. Mamie Eisenhower disliked a heavy schedule of public events, and while Pat didn't enjoy them any more than Mamie, she felt it was her duty to step in for Mrs. Eisenhower.

Walter and Joan Mondale were the first vice-presidential couple to occupy the home at Number One Observatory Circle on the Grounds of the US Naval Observatory in 1977. Prior to that the second couple traditionally lived in a their own home.

Answer: She made it known publically that she urged her husband to name the first woman to the Supreme Court

It may not be surprising that Pat Nixon advocated finding a qualified female as she also publicly stated her support of the Roe v. Wade decision and the Equal Rights Amendment, two hot issues in the women's movement of the time.

Richard Nixon had a huge impact on the tone of the Supreme Court, naming four associate justices in just 5.5 years. In contrast, many presidents who served longer in office named three justices or less, including Presidents Johnson, Reagan, Clinton and GW Bush. All of Nixon's appointees were men: Warren Burger, Lewis Powell, Harry Blackmun and William Rehnquist. It wouldn't be until 1981 that Ronald Reagan appointed Sandra Day O'Connor, the Court's first woman.

Lucy Hayes, wife of President Rutherford Hayes, was known as "Lemonade Lucy" for her banning of wine and spirits at official White House events.

Answer: Hosted the wedding of their daughter at the White House

After Eleanor Wilson's wedding in 1914, Lynda Bird Johnson and Tricia Nixon were the only presidential daughters to wed at the White House up through the terms of President GW Bush. Tricia Nixon wed Edward Cox in the Rose Garden.

Other presidential children who have married during their father's term in office included: Jenna Bush, daughter of GW and Laura Bush, who married at her parents' ranch in Texas; Dorothy Bush (daughter of George HW and Barbara) married at Camp David; Maureen Reagan and Patti Davis, children of Ronald Reagan, also chose to wed at locations other than the White House.

Nancy Reagan was the First Lady who took heat for buying new White House china, even though it was purchased with donated funds.

Answer: She was always kept in the loop on Watergate and advised her husband to turn over the tapes and resign

Mrs. Nixon was kept almost completely in the dark on the events surrounding Watergate. When apprised of the situation, and believing in her husband's honesty, she actually urged him to make a public address to the nation explaining his innocence and to remain in office (I guess that worked with the Checkers scandal).

In 1969 she flew over Cambodia in a helicopter, only 18 miles from Saigon. Eleanor Roosevelt visited with troops during WWII, but not in designated combat zones.

Answer: The Rev. Dr. Billy Graham

Beginning in 1976, Patricia (as she came to be known) Ryan Nixon suffered several strokes. She was in near-complete seclusion after Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, first in San Clemente, CA and later in suburban New Jersey and New York. Mrs. Nixon is buried next to her husband on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California.