Pat Nixon 1912–1993

Born Ely, Nevada First Lady 1969–1974

As a woman who had worked hard to support herself through college, Nevada-born Thelma Catherine “Pat” Ryan Nixon was a staunch advocate of the Equal Rights Amendment. During her husband Richard Nixon’s vice presidency under President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–61) and during his own presidency, she visited over eighty countries. As first lady she focused on access for all those wishing to visit the White House, resulting in foreign-language pamphlets and the installation of the first wheelchair ramps at the mansion.

This wistful portrait of Nixon was featured on the cover of Time magazine February 29, 1960, during her husband’s unsuccessful presidential run against John F. Kennedy. The artist, Robert Vickrey, was a master of egg tempera, an ancient technique that requires great skill. From 1957 to 1968, artist Robert Vickrey created seventy-eight covers for Time magazine, only a handful of which feature notable women like Pat Nixon.

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine