Our Presidential Past: Former First Lady Patricia Nixon

It is a little known fact that Former First Lady Patricia Nixon was raised in the Artesia and Cerritos area during the 1920s. Likely our most famous resident of all time, Patricia Nixon's life and impact is still visible in our community today.

The Early Years
Originally named Thelma Catherine Ryan, Mrs. Nixon was affectionately nicknamed "Pat" by her father. She was born in Nevada and her family moved to a farm in Cerritos, then called Dairy Valley, when she was less than a year old. Growing up, a "trip to town" for young Pat meant a buggy ride to Artesia where she and her family could visit the fledgling town that consisted only of a drugstore, hardware store, bank, general merchandise store, barbershop, and two blacksmiths (a very different Artesia than we know today). 

Mr. and Mrs. Nixon
The former First Lady met a young lawyer named Richard Nixon while working with the Whittier Little Theater group in 1937. By 1940, the two were married and living in Whittier. With his wife at his side, Richard Nixon's political career flourished and he was elected President in 1968. 

Pat Nixon Park and Senior Center
On Sept. 5, 1969, Patricia Nixon returned to the Cerritos-Artesia area for the groundbreaking ceremony for the . The park sits on the same land that the her family once lived on. Their farm home was restored and converted into a museum and recreation center. Unfortunately, the building was burned down by vandals in 1977 (three years after Mr. Nixon's resignation). The damage was so vast that the building was demolished and a rose garden was planted in its place. The that stands today was established seventeen years later in 1994.

Patricia Nixon Elementary
Prior to her husband's presidency, Mrs. Nixon worked as a local educator. As First Lady, she championed literacy for our nation's youth. Thus, it was only natural for a local school to adopt Patricia Nixon's name. In 1975, Mrs. Nixon attended the dedication ceremony of .

First Ladies Collection
As a loose tribute to the former First Lady, the dedicated a permenant exhibit to the First Ladies of the United States of America. The First Ladies Collection contains portraits of all the former First Ladies, donated memorabilia, and a special collection of books related to the historical contributions of American women throughout time. 

Want to learn more about the Cerritos and Artesia's history? 
Much of the information in this article was obtained from Cerritos at 50: Celebrating Our Past and Our Future and The Story of Cerritos: A History in Progress. These books and more are available at the .