Early in the campaign, Kennedy's opponents realized that Jackie was the Democrats' secret weapon. There were snide comments about her aristocratic background, which she usually shrugged off with humor. But the observation that Jackie and Pat Nixon were personal and political polar opposites reflected the cultural transformation of women in America. In the media, Pat Nixon represented the pre-World War II mindset of the stay-at-home housewife; Jackie, even though she had given up her writing career, was still the embodiment of the modern post-World War II woman who walked beside her husband in the spotlight, not behind him in the shadows. The irony in that perception is that prior to her marriage Pat Nixon had held down more jobs than possibly any other First Lady.

The Cloth Coat Republican

Pat Nixon was born Thelma Catherine Ryan on March 16, 1912, in Ely, Nevada, where her father worked as a miner. He gave her the nickname Pat because she was born on the eve of St. Patrick's Day. When she was two years old, her family moved to Southern California, where they ran a farm. Pat's mother died of cancer when she was twelve years old. Her father died five years later of silicosis, a lung disease caused by working in a mine.

Pat supported herself through Fullerton Junior College and the University of Southern California by working as a driver, an X-ray technician, a cleaner, a department store sales clerk, a typist, and a movie extra. After graduating cum laude with a degree in merchandising, Pat went to work as a teacher in Whittier, California. Pursuing her enjoyment of performing, she joined a theater group and met a young lawyer named Richard Nixon when they were cast together in a play. He proposed on their first date, and they were married three years later in 1940. The Nixons had two daughters, Patricia and Julie.

As Richard Nixon's political career advanced, Pat was portrayed as a devoted model mother and wife who personally ironed her husband's suits. She was named Outstanding Homemaker of the Year in 1953, Mother of the Year in 1955, and Nation's Ideal Housewife of 1957. While her dedication to family earned her admiration, it also earned her the reputation of being a bit drab. Her husband underscored her image in his “Checkers speech” when he commented that Pat didn't own any extravagant furs — just a respectable Republican cloth coat.

Campaign Wife

Not to be outdone by Jackie's high profile, the Nixon camp created an ad campaign, “Pat for First Lady” that was aimed directly at housewives, who they hoped would identify with Pat. Pat Nixon herself urged women to get involved in the political process by volunteering. The national press frequently compared the two candidates' wives, creating a kind of mini-race between the two that focused on their vastly different personal styles.

Individually, Jackie brought a new dimension to politics. Together, she and Jack changed the way the public at large viewed politicians. They had the unique ability to be both accessible and regal. They greeted the common man and the patrician with the same attention and interest, all the while keeping a subtle distance. To many Americans they were a new breed of celebrity — political royalty who symbolized youth, vitality, and class.