Pat Ryan Nixon

5/23/2025

Pat and Lemon Sugar Cookies

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First Ladies - 1900s

Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon*

President Richard M. Nixon*

Dick and Pat*

First Lady Pat and President Richard M. Nixon
First Lady - January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974
Quotes from Pat -

“I never have tantrums. If anything makes me mad, I'm silent. If I'm not talking, leave me alone.”
“All lives have triumphs and tragedies, laughter and tears, and mine has been no different.”

Factoids -

Pat Nixon was the President's wife with a graduate degree.
Pat was the first to wear pants in public in her role as First Lady.

Bio -

Thelma “Pat” Ryan was born in Nevada a few hours before St. Patrick's Day. Her father called her his "St. Patrick's Day babe" and the nickname "Pat" stuck with her for a lifetime. When both her mother and father had terminal illnesses, she worked in high school to help pay bills, including cleaning floors at the local bank before school and returning after school to work in bookkeeping. Pat supported herself as a waitress, movie extra, department store employee, and beauty products tester - working 40 hours a week while putting herself through the University of Southern California, graduating with honors.
After graduation, she was a teacher for awhile and while auditioning for a local theatre production, she met Richard Nixon. They were married in 1940 and Richard served in the Navy in World War II. Afterwards, Pat and Richard moved to Washington, had two daughters, and he began his political career as a senator, Vice-President, and finally, President.
As First Lady, Pat was a whirlwind. She was outspoken and steadfast on her endorsement of the Equal Rights Amendment and her pro-choice view on abortion. Pat visited over 80 countries, she developed foreign language brochures for foreign visitors to the White House and installed the first wheelchair ramps. When she expressed a love for giant pandas to the Premier of China, he presented the Smithsonian National Zoo with two pandas!
In 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned from office after the Watergate scandal, and he and Pat moved out of the White House. Pat had a stroke two years later and rarely appeared in public afterwards.

About Richard - Richard Nixon was the 37th president. Richard ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam and opened diplomatic relations with China. He achieved major environmental reforms, but his gains were deeply undermined by his involvement in the Watergate scandal over a 1972 break-in at the Democratic Party headquarters. Facing impeachment, Richard became the only U.S. president to resign.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

These cookies are also known as White House Cookies - sugar cookies with lemon zest!

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups butter; at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tablespoon lemon rind; grated
2 eggs
6 cups - 7 cups cake flour
Steps

In a mixing bowl, beat together sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest.
Beat in eggs, one at a time; mix well after each.
Stir in the cake flour by hand. Cover and put in refrigerator at least an hour or overnight.
On a floured surface, Roll dough to 1/8" thickness and cut out with cookie cutters or rim end of a drinking glass.
Bake in preheated 375-degree oven until lightly browned, about 7-8 minutes.
For topping - dust warm cookies with confectioner’s sugar or use granulated sugar

Portrait Credits*
Pat Nixon - portrait - White House photo office, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; on the beach with Dick - Oliver F. Atkins, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Richard M. Nixon - James Anthony Wills -White House Collection, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons