1952 Republican vice presidential nomination

← 1948 July 11, 1952 (1952-07-11) 1960 →

Nominee Richard Nixon Home state California

Previous Vice Presidential nominee Earl Warren Vice Presidential nominee Richard Nixon

SenatorRichard M. Nixon's speech at a state Republican Party fundraiser inNew York City on May 8, 1952, impressed GovernorThomas E. Dewey, who was an Eisenhower supporter and had organized a pro-Eisenhower delegation from New York to attend the national convention.^[1] In a private meeting following the speech, Dewey suggested to Nixon that he would make a suitable vice presidential candidate to run alongside Eisenhower.^[2]

Nixon attended the convention as a delegate pledged toEarl Warren and represented California on the convention's platform committee.^[3] In pre-convention remarks to reporters, Nixon touted Warren as the most prominentdark horse and suggested that if Warren was not the presidential nominee, Nixon's Senate colleagueWilliam Knowland would be a good choice for vice president.^[4] As the convention proceedings continued, Warren became concerned that Nixon was working for Eisenhower while ostensibly pledged to Warren.^[5] Warren asked Paul H. Davis of theHoover Institution atStanford University, who had been a vice president atColumbia University while Eisenhower was the school's president, to tell Eisenhower that Warren resented such actions and wanted them to stop.^[3] Eisenhower informed Davis that he did not oppose Warren, because if Taft and Eisenhower deadlocked, then Warren would be his first choice for the nomination.^[6] In the same conversation, Eisenhower indicated that if he won the nomination, Nixon would be his first choice for the vice presidency, because Eisenhower believed the party needed to promote leaders who were aggressive, capable, and young.^[7] Eisenhower later developed a list of seven potential candidates, with Nixon's name at the top.^[8]

After Eisenhower was nominated, his key supporters met to discuss vice presidential possibilities.^[9] Eisenhower informed the group's chairman,Herbert Brownell Jr. that he did not wish to appear to dictate to the convention by formally sponsoring a single candidate, so the group reviewed several, including Taft,Everett Dirksen, andAlfred E. Driscoll, all of whom they quickly rejected.^[9] Dewey then raised Nixon's name; the group quickly concurred.^[10] Brownell checked with Eisenhower, who indicated his approval.^[11] Brownell then called Nixon to inform him that he was Eisenhower's choice.^[10] Nixon accepted, then departed for Eisenhower's hotel room to discuss the details of the campaign and Eisenhower's plans for his vice president if the ticket was successful in the general election.^[11]

The delegates soon assembled to formalize the selection.^[12] Nixon asked Knowland to nominate him, and Knowland agreed.^[12] After Taft supporterJohn W. Bricker declined Nixon's request to second the nomination, Driscoll agreed to do so.^[13] There were no other candidates, and Nixon was nominated by acclamation.^[14]

Months after the convention, Eisenhower considered asking Nixon to step down as running mate due to controversy surrounding campaign expenses, but Nixon rallied public opinion with hisCheckers speech and remained on the ticket.^[15] The Eisenhower–Nixon ticket won the1952 election, as well as the1956 election, defeating theStevenson–Sparkman and Stevenson–Kefauver tickets, respectively. Nixon went on to become the Republican presidential nominee in1960 but ultimately lost toJohn F. Kennedy in the close general election. He would later be elected president in his own right in1968 and1972.

• 
  Senator
  Richard Nixon
  fromCalifornia
  (1950-1953)
• 
  Senator & Co-Campaign Manager
  Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.^[16]
  fromMassachusetts
  (1947-1953)
• 
  Congressman
  Walter Judd^[17]
  fromMinnesota
  (1943-1963)
• 
  House Majority Leader
  Charles A. Halleck^[18]
  fromIndiana
  (1947-1949)
• 
  Senator
  William Knowland^[19]
  fromCalifornia
  (1945-1959)
• 
  Governor
  Daniel Thornton^[17]
  fromColorado
  (1951-1955)
• 
  Governor
  Arthur B. Langlie^[20]
  fromWashington
  (1949-1957)

• 
  Senator
  Everett Dirksen^[9]
  fromIllinois
  (1951-1969)
• 
  Senator
  Robert A. Taft^[21]
  fromOhio
  (1939-1953)
• 
  Governor
  Alfred E. Driscoll^[22]
  fromNew Jersey
  (1947-1954)

• 1952 Republican National Convention

• Republican Party (United States) vice presidential nominees
• 1952 United States presidential election
• Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Richard Nixon

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