Evening star., 1952-07-20
By IsobeIIe Shelton

How does it feel to have ;
vice presidential nomination strik
you like a bolt out of the blue?
Up until nine days ago Mrs
Richard M. Nixon, whose HUSBAND
is now Gen. Eisenhower's G. o. P
running mate, was a suburban
housewife not unlike thousands o
other wives in the Washington
area. A little different, perhaps
since her husband was a membel
of the United States Senate. Blu
not very much.
For pretty Pat Nixon did no
work at being an Official wife
She and her husband participated
very little in the Capital socia
whirl. She did not even attend tn,
Senate Ladies Lunch Club -
weekly gatherings of Senate wive.
to which the ladies pack alon,
their own lunch, combine socia
chltchat with bandage rolling anc
other chores for the Red Cross.
Until a year ago the Nixon,
lived in a two-bedroom apartment
in Parkfairfax, a Virginia apart.
ment development. Then they
moved to their present home, {
new two-Story Seven-room white
brick house with aqua shutter
at 4801 Tilden street NV, in the
section known as Spring Valley
1t is beautifully furnished in
modern style. mostly in aqua ane
shades of green.
Except for very occasional as.
sist from cleaning woman. Mrs
Nixon did her own housework un.
til just before the G. o. P. conven.
tion. She. made most of the
draperieS and spreads for the new
house, and many of the clothes
Tor her two daughters, Patricia
cher mother calls her 'Ticia), 6
and Julie. 4. She used to make
her own clothes as we'll, but gave
that up for lack of time.
Her days were spent caring for
the house, going to the grocery
store. planning picnics or expedi-
tions to swimming pool or ZOO for
her own and neighboring chill
dren. She didn't have time for
hobbies-"unless you call sewing
hobby"
Lightning Struck
Then suddenly the bolt of
lightning struck. II was probably
the most surprised person in
Chicago when they told me Dick
was running for Vice President" :"
the 39-year-old former secretary
and commercial high school
teacher recalls with a laugh.
Mrs. Nixon returned to Wash
1ngton the day after the nomi-
mating whoopla because I had
told the children I would be back
Saturday"
She arrived just in time to see
pandemonium break loose in her
household - a condition from
which it has not yet completely
recovered and perhaps never will
The telephone was ringing in
sistently as she approached the
front door and a Western Union
boy was standing with sheaf OF
kilograms in his hand. The phone
call - offering congratulations -
was from California, and was fol-
lowed by other similar messages
"all night long" says Mrs. Nixon
Batches of kilograms also poured
into Washington throughout the
night, and Western Union kept
faithfully dispatching them to the
Nixon home. Next time I'll know
enough to call up and ask them
to hold the kilograms until morn
ing" says the candidates some
what harried wife. But right then
I couldn't think about anything
except how tired the children
were, and how I wished the tele-
phone would stop ringing"
VI course IL was very sweet
of people to CALL" she added
automatically. But I think out
in California they forget that it's
three hours later in Washington.
New Deluee
The phone calls and kilograms
dwindled after a few days, but
then a new deluge began. Now il
was the mailman who was beat
ing a regular path to the door
Song writer's, insurance statesmen
real estate dealers, private school:
and just plain Republicans were
writing to the candidate and his
wife.
There also were letters from
old schoolmates of Mrs. Nixon