Julie Nixon Eisenhower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julie Nixon Eisenhower
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Nixon Eisenhower in 2010
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Julie Nixon
July 5, 1948 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Education | Smith College |
| Occupation | Author |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3, including Jennie |
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Julie Nixon Eisenhower, born on July 5, 1948, is an American author. She is the younger daughter of former U.S. President Richard Nixon and his wife, Pat Nixon. Her husband, David, is the grandson of another former U.S. President, Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Julie was born in Washington, D.C. in 1948. Her father was a Congressman at the time. She and her older sister, Tricia Nixon Cox, grew up with a lot of public attention. Her father became a U.S. Senator when she was two. He then became Vice President of the United States when she was four. Her marriage to David Eisenhower in 1968 brought together two very well-known political families in the United States.
During her father's time as President (1969 to 1974), Julie worked as an editor for The Saturday Evening Post. She was also known as the "First Daughter." She was a strong supporter of her father. In the 1970s, readers of Good Housekeeping magazine named her one of the "Ten Most Admired Women in America" for four years. After her father left the presidency in 1974, she wrote a book about her mother. This book, Pat Nixon: The Untold Story, became a New York Times best-seller. Today, Julie continues to support her parents' legacies. She is on the board of directors for the Richard Nixon Foundation.
Julie is a mother of three children. She has two daughters, Jennie Eisenhower and Melanie Catherine Eisenhower. She also has a son, Alex Eisenhower.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Julie Nixon was born in Washington, D.C.. Her father, Richard Nixon, was a Representative at the time. Much of her childhood was during her father's time as Dwight Eisenhower's Vice President (1953–1961). She remembered her father as romantic and her mother as practical. Her mother tried to protect Julie and her sister from much of her father's political life.
When she was eight, at President Eisenhower's second inauguration, he suggested she hide a black eye for a photo. She had gotten it from a sledding accident. She turned her head towards David, making it look like he was staring at her. Her grandmother, Hannah Milhous Nixon, often watched Julie and her sister when their parents traveled. One of her favorite childhood pets was a cocker spaniel named Checkers. This dog was famous from one of her father's speeches in 1952.
While her father was Vice President, Julie attended the private Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., with her sister Tricia. After her father lost the presidential election of 1960 to John F. Kennedy, Julie felt upset. She believed the votes had "been stolen."
After her father lost the 1960 election, the family moved back to California. Her father then ran for governor in 1962 but did not win. The Nixons moved to New York City after that. Julie attended Smith College after graduating from the Chapin School. She earned a master's degree in education from Catholic University of America in 1971.
While Julie was at Smith College, David Eisenhower, President Dwight D. Eisenhower's grandson, attended Amherst College nearby. Julie and David were both asked to speak at a Republican Women's Club. The club learned they were only seven miles apart. They invited them to be featured speakers. They both decided not to speak. However, they met later when David visited Julie with his roommate. They went out for ice cream. David later joked, "I was broke, my roommate forgot his wallet. The girls paid."
Marriage to David Eisenhower
Julie began dating David Eisenhower in the fall of 1966. They were both freshmen at Smith College and Amherst College. They became engaged a year later. Both Julie and David have said that Mamie Eisenhower, David's grandmother, played a big part in their relationship. In 1966, at a funeral, Julie mentioned to Mamie that she would be attending Smith College. Mamie told her about David's plans for Amherst College. Soon, Mamie started trying to get David to call Julie.
In 1966, Julie Nixon was introduced to high society as a debutante. This happened at the International Debutante Ball in New York City. David Eisenhower was her escort at this event.
Julie and David married on December 22, 1968. This was after her father was elected president in the 1968 presidential election, but before he took office. The couple did not want a lot of publicity from a White House wedding. The Reverend Norman Vincent Peale led the ceremony. It took place at the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City.
The couple left Massachusetts in 1970. Their classes there were canceled after the Kent State shootings. After her father resigned from office, they lived in California near Julie's parents. Later, they moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia. The Eisenhowers have three children. Their daughters are actress Jennie Elizabeth (born August 15, 1978) and Melanie Catherine Eisenhower (born 1984). Melanie is a Child Life Specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Their son is Alexander Richard (born 1980).
As First Daughter
During the 1968 presidential election, Julie felt she was not active enough in her father's campaign. She worried about Hubert Humphrey's popularity at Smith College. She took an active role in her father's campaign. She shook hands with people for hours. Even though she did not like publicity or answering "personal questions," she did everything she could to help her father.
While her father was President (1969–1974), Julie became active at the White House. She spoke about children's issues, the environment, and the elderly. She gave tours to children with disabilities. She also filled in for her mother at events. She took an interest in foreign policy. She and Tricia were in charge of Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. when they visited the White House in 1971. The sisters gave the young Kennedys a tour of their former home. This included their old bedrooms and the Oval Office.
In 1971, David was assigned to the USS Albany in Mayport, Florida. They moved to Atlantic Beach, Florida. Julie was hired to teach third grade there. However, she had to quit when she broke her toe just before classes started. The Eisenhowers lived in Atlantic Beach until 1973. They even hosted the President and First Lady at their beachfront apartment.
From 1973 to 1975, she was the Assistant Managing Editor of the Saturday Evening Post. She also helped start a book division for its parent company, Curtis Publishing Co. During this time, Julie wrote the book Eye On Nixon. It was full of photographs from her father's first term as president.
After news of the Watergate break-in spread, Julie began to defend her father to the press. Journalist Nora Ephron wrote that Julie became her father's "First Lady" in practice. Julie took on the role of explaining her father to the world. Her public defense began at Walt Disney World on May 2, 1973. She gave 138 interviews across the country. On July 4, 1973, she told reporters that her father had thought about resigning over Watergate. However, the family had talked him out of it.
On May 7, 1974, Julie and David met with the press at the East Garden of the White House. She announced that the President planned to "take this constitutionally down to the wire." Just before noon on August 9, 1974, Julie stood behind her father. He gave his goodbye speech to the White House staff. She later said it was the hardest moment for him.
Life After the White House
Julie and David settled in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. There, she wrote several books. These include Pat Nixon: The Untold Story and Going Home to Glory; A Memoir of Life with Dwight D. Eisenhower, written with her husband David. She has done a lot of community service. She has a special interest in helping young people who are at risk. For over twenty years, she was on the board of directors for Jobs for America's Graduates. This group helps young people graduate from high school and find their first job. She was named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania for her community work. She is active with the Richard Nixon Foundation, serving on its board. From 2002 to 2006, she was Chair of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships. This program helps develop leaders among the nation's best young adults.
Julie, her sister, and her father were with her mother when she passed away from lung cancer on June 22, 1993. Four days later, on June 26, 1993, Julie attended her mother's funeral service. It was held at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California. Ten months later, she was by her father's side with her sister when he passed away. Julie attended his funeral on April 27, 1994. Her father's death left her and her sister with his diary entries, binders, and tapes.
She has expressed dislike for some movies about presidencies. She felt they gave young viewers a "twisted sense of history." This included Oliver Stone's film Nixon, about her father's presidency. Walt Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, wrote to Julie and her sister. She said Stone had "committed a grave disservice to your family, to the Presidency, and to American history."
On April 14, 1999, the U.S. Department of Defense tried to stop her from testifying. This was during a legal fight over whether the federal government would pay her father's estate millions. This money was for the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. It was compensation for papers and tapes taken when he resigned.
In 2001, she wanted to move the body of Checkers, the dog famous from her father's 1952 campaign. Checkers had passed away in 1964. Her wish was to move his remains to the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.
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She and her sister had a legal disagreement over an estimated $19 million. This money was left by Bebe Rebozo for the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation. Tricia wanted the money to be controlled by a group linked to their family. Julie wanted it controlled by the library's board. Julie said the dispute was "very sad" and "very heartbreaking" because she loved her sister very much. Eventually, the lawsuit was settled, and both sides were happy.
One of Julie Eisenhower's biggest wishes was for the Nixon Library to join the National Archives system of Presidential Libraries. She believed it was important for her father's legacy. Thanks to her efforts, the Nixon Library became part of the National Archives and Records Administration system in July 2007.
Even though her family usually supported Republicans, Julie donated money to Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic primary. This was during his race against Hillary Clinton. She supported Mitt Romney in 2012, who was the Republican candidate against President Obama. She also supported Donald Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
On March 16, 2012, she and her sister visited Yorba Linda, California. They were there to celebrate what would have been their mother's 100th birthday. On November 23, 2013, Eisenhower and her husband opened a holiday exhibit for the Nixon Library. It stayed there until January 5, 2014.
