Presidential transition of Richard Nixon
The presidential transition of Richard Nixon began when he won the United States 1968 United States presidential election, becoming the president-elect, and ended when Nixon was inaugurated at noon EST on January 20, 1969. Nixon had become president-elect once the election results became clear on November 6, 1968, the day after the election.[1] This was the first presidential transition to take place following the passage of the Presidential Transition Act of 1963.[1]
Date of election
Preparations for a transition were begun by the administration of outgoing president Lyndon B. Johnson many months before the election. Planning for a potential transition into the presidency was also begun by then-candidate Nixon in the months ahead of his election. Nixon's pre-election and post-election transition efforts were headed by Franklin B. Lincoln Jr., and Johnson's were headed by Charles S. Murphy.
At the time of the transition, the United States was engaged in the ongoing Vietnam War, and peace talks with North Vietnam were ongoing.
Assessment of the transition[edit]
The Nixon transition is considered by some to have been a smooth transition.[6][7] Stephen H. Hess of the Brookings Institution wrote in March 2001, that "Richard Nixon’s transition was one of the smoothest in recent memory."[30]