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Richard Nixon appears uncredited in a excerpt from a CBS News address in the episode "Man in the Street". He is also impersonated in voice by Rich Little in the episode "Writing the President" in Season 1. | ||||
Personal Information | ||||
Gender: | Male | |||
Born: | 9 January 1913 | |||
Birthplace: | Yorba Linda, California | |||
Died: | 22 April 1994 | (aged 1992)|||
Deathplace: | New York City | |||
Occupation/ Career: |
Politician and 37th President of the United States, 1968-1974 Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 | |||
Character/Series involvement | ||||
Series: | All in the Family | |||
Episodes appeared in: | "Writing the President" (as voiced by Rich Little) "The Man in the Street" (archive news footage) |
Richard Milhous Nixon (9 January 1913 - 22 April 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974, following the Watergate scandal. Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961. On All in the Family, he is voiced by comedian/entertainer Rich Little in the Season 1 episode "Writing the President" and CBS news footage of a Presidential Address is shown of him in the episode "The Man in the Street" also in Season 1. Notable events during Nixon's presidency included continued escalation and the ultimate end of the Vietnam War, a 1972 trip to China which opened diplomatic relations with the US, the Apollo 11 moon landing, and the debut of a children's show known as Sesame Street.
In 1959, during the Emmy Awards (which were held at Washington, DC), guest of honor Nixon (then Vice President to Dwight D. Eisenhower) met with Jim Henson, winner of the Emmy for Best Local Entertainment.[1] According to Jane Henson, Nixon's only comment of note was "I knew someone in the Navy with a beard."[2]
In a letter dated 28 January 1970, President Nixon wrote to Joan Ganz Cooney to praise Sesame Street:[3]
The many children and families now benefiting from Sesame Street are participants in one of the most promising experiments in the history of that medium. The Children's Television Workshop certainly deserves the high praise it has been getting from young and old alike in every corner of the nation. This administration is enthusiastically committed to opening up opportunities for every youngster, particularly during his first five years of life, and is pleased to be among the sponsors of your distinguished program.
Sincerely,
Richard Nixon
Members of Nixon's cabinet and staff included Vice-President Gerald Ford (1973-1974), Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (1973-1977), and speechwriter Ben Stein and David Gergen. His infamous "enemies list" included Paul Newman in the original 20-name memo, while the expanded master list named Carol Channing, Shirley Chisholm, Bill Cosby, Jane Fonda, John Lennon, Joe Namath, Gregory Peck, Tony Randall, and Barbra Streisand. Even the name "Lloyd N. Morrisett" (that of one of the founders of the Children's Television Workshop and chairman from 1968 through 2000) appeared, although why the name was there, and whether it referred to Morrisett or his namesake father (an educator), remained a puzzle to Morrisett.[4]
Nixon resigned during the hiatus between the fourth and fifth seasons of 'Family'. His resignation was only referred to as a fait accompli of the first episode of the fifth season.
Sources[]
- ↑ 5/6/1959 – ‘Local Academy TV Arts & Sciences Wash. DC – Best Local Entertainment Program 1958.’ Jim Henson's Red Book. May 06, 2012
- ↑ Hensoncompany Twitter comment. May 23, 2012.
- ↑ Davis, Michael. Street Gang. p. 198-199
- ↑ Mitgang, Lee D. Big Bird and Beyond: The New Media and the Markle Foundation. p. 33. Fordham University Press, 2003.