Pat Nixon was the wife of former US President Richard Nixon and had served as both the Second and the First Lady of the United States. Born as Thelma Catherine Ryan in a small town in Nevada, she was an educator who believed in hard work and perseverance. She married lawyer Richard Nixon and supported him wholeheartedly when he ventured into politics and eventually became the Vice President of US. As the Second Lady, she often visited orphanages, schools, hospitals, and village markets as he took up several goodwill missions through the world. She was also a promoter of numerous charitable causes and championed volunteerism. She encouraged people to volunteer in schools, rehabs, and other organizations to resolve social problems locally. During Richard Nixon’s tenure as the president, she became the first First Lady to visit the Soviet Union and China, and was also the first wife of a president to be an official representative of US on her travels to Africa and South America, which earned her the moniker "Madame Ambassador." She was also the first First Lady to enter a war zone. Her tenure ended when President Nixon resigned in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal, two years after an overwhelming victory in 1972.