Health and Medical History of President

Richard Nixon: Makeup, Elections, and Death

It's widely acknowledged that Nixon lost the 1960 presidential election to John Kennedy because of his physical appearance during a television debate with JFK. According to Don Hewett, who produced the televised debate, Nixon looked bad that day on television for several reasons: (1) Nixon had a staphylococcal infection at the time, (2) Nixon "smacked his knee" in the studio and was in pain, (3) After Kennedy declined to have make-up applied, Nixon declined, too, fearing the consequences if it became known that he had accepted make-up when Kennedy had not. To cover his five o'clock shadow, Nixon instead had one of his people smear a product of dubious quality, known as "Shave Stick," on his face 1. BELOW

Hewitt also produced a television special on the day President Kennedy was assassinated. One of Hewitt's guests on the show was Richard Nixon. The make-up man for the show was the same make-up man for the 1960 debate, whose services Nixon had declined.

Before the show, Hewitt said something along the following lines to Nixon: "Do you realize that if Franny had done your make-up for the debate, you would have been President?" To which Nixon wheeled around without a moment's hesitation and replied: "Yes, and now I'd be dead." 1