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At his best a statesman with a true world - view, Richard Nixon was a troubling complex man who felt cheated of the dignity and respect he sought. Reared in California by a devout Quaker mother, he had a childhood marked by poverty and loss - the early death of two of his three brothers.
Nixon won scholarships to Whittier College and Duke Law School, and in 1937 he confidently embarked upon a law career. Elected to Congress in 1946, he drew national attention for his work on the House Un-American Activities Committee, which culminated in his zealous prosecution of Alger Hiss.
In 1950 he was elected to the Senate, and Eisenhower chose him as his running - mate in 1952. As vice - president, Nixon made frequent trips abroad, famously holding his ground in a debate with Premier Nikita Khrushchev. After a narrow loss to JFK in 1960, he resumed his law practice. But in 1968 he was again nominated for the presidency.
As president, he eased Cold War tensions by initiating arms talks with the Soviet Union and by holding historic summit meetings in the People's Republic of China. But with impeachment approaching after the Watergate burglaries, he resigned from office on August 9, 1974.
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