Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) served as the 37th president of the United States from 1969 until 1974. In early 1957, Nixon undertook another major foreign trip, this time to Africa. On his return, he helped shepherd the Civil Rights Act of 1957 through Congress. The bill was weakened in the Senate, and civil rights leaders were divided over whether Eisenhower should sign it. Nixon said he was resigning for the good of the country and asked the nation to support the new president, Gerald Ford.