THE CENTENNIAL BIRTHDATE OF THE 37TH POTUS - RICHARD MILHOUS NIXON... PART 1..........

One hundred years ago today - January 9, 1913; in Yorba Linda, California; a baby was born, who although subjected and raised amidst the struggles and vulnerabilities of growing up economically impoverished and surrounded by the plight of enveloping disease that consumed two of his brothers; would apply himself rigorously educationally and followed the conservative traditional religious tenets of his mother's original and father's converted faith in Quakerism faithfully as a youth, determined to make his way in the world beyond his boyhood home city the family moved to after failure of their citrus ranch of Whittier, in Orange County Southern California; to become a leading Republican Party political and governmental mover and shaker for some three decades, and the 37th President of the United States of America - Richard Milhous Nixon.  After graduating from Whittier College in California in 1934; he attended Duke University Law School on a scholarship matriculating from that respected North Carolina campus in 1937, returning and becoming an attorney at law back in Whittier, until serving as a Lieutenant in the U.S Navy during World War Two.   In 1946, he was recruited to run against and then defeated a five term Democratic New Deal Congressman Jerry Voorhies, serving two terms in the House of Representatives, before winning a Senate seat from California in 1950 at age 37; his opponent being Democratic Congresswoman and Hollywood actress Helen Gahagan Douglas.  Just a year and a half after becoming a Senator, he was picked by General Dwight David Eisenhower as his 1952 Republican Vice Presidential running mate, and served as the 36th Vice President of the Unied States from 1953-1961.   And that's only the first half of his 28 years in elective politics.  I will blog about the second part later in the week, as we remember the life and times of the famous / infamous man who was the 7th Republican American President in the 20th Century and for five and a half years, the 37th POTUS.............Fr.  Troy