Winter Auction 2015 closing February 7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/8/2015
Although he was awarded a grant to attend Harvard, Richard Nixon chose to attend nearby Whittier College to be close to his ailing father. Shy, awkward and having to work his way through school, the future president made the most out of the small college. He played on the basketball team, was a reserve on the football squad, and when he was refused entry into the only male literary society due to his lower standing in society, started his own club. Named the "Orthogonian Society", Nixon underlined the class-conscious roots of the club stating that they were "athletes and men who were working their way through school". This 1933 edition of "Acropolis" dates to Nixon's junior year at Whittier. Nixon has signed page 13 above his photograph in the Student Government section with "I'm sorry I didn't get those society articles in better. I'll try to do better next time. The way your mother is 'behind us students', I hope to know you better next year. Dick Nixon". The Thirty-seventh President of the United States has also signed his portrait on the page dedicated to the Orthogonian Society, the club he proudly formed. An interesting note: while the club that turned down Nixon, the Franklin Society, is shown in haughty black tie, the Orthogonian's are photographed in defiantly open-necked white shirts. The book's covers show shelf wear but the binding is intact and secure. The two Nixon signatures are in black fountain pen and have been perfectly preserved within. Letter of Authenticity from JSA.