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Barry Goldwater

Barry Goldwater
Usage Conditions Apply
Artist
John Kirthian Court, born 6 Mar 1948
Sitter
Barry Morris Goldwater, 1 Jan 1909 - 29 May 1998
Date
1983
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 61 x 45.7 x 1.9cm (24 x 18 x 3/4")
Frame: 70.5 x 59.4 x 5.1cm (27 3/4 x 23 3/8 x 2")
Topic
Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses
Costume\Jewelry\Ring\Wedding Band
Barry Morris Goldwater: Male
Barry Morris Goldwater: Politics and Government\Presidential candidate
Barry Morris Goldwater: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\General
Barry Morris Goldwater: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Merchant
Barry Morris Goldwater: Politics and Government\US Senator\Arizona
Barry Morris Goldwater: Presidential Medal of Freedom
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mrs. Constance Inglis, White March, VA, in the name of Mr. and Mrs. James Bland Martin
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© John Kirthian Court
Object number
NPG.84.71
Exhibition Label
Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, who was the GOP’s presidential candidate in 1964 (he lost to Lyndon B. Johnson), helped bring the Watergate scandal to its conclusion. A stalwart force in the Republican Party throughout his career, he is credited with shaping the modern, pre-Trump era GOP.
Goldwater could not ignore how the Watergate scandal stained the Republican Party, damaged morale, and compromised its fundraising. In a series of three editorials published by the New York Times, he urged President Nixon to hand over the tape recordings, “to get this ugly mess behind him.” Describing Nixon as “the most dishonest individual I have ever met in my life,” Goldwater played a decisive role in the president’s resignation. While visiting Nixon at the White House with fellow Republican congressmen John Rhodes and Hugh Scott Jr. on August 7, 1974, Goldwater told the president that the case was hopeless and convinced him to resign.
El senador por Arizona Barry Goldwater, que era el candidato presidencial del Partido Republicano en 1964 (cuando fue derrotado por Lyndon B. Johnson), ayudó a poner fin al escándalo de Watergate. Partidario incondicional del Partido Republicano durante toda su carrera, a Goldwater se le atribuye el haber dado su forma actual al partido, en la época anterior a Trump.
Goldwater no podía ignorar cómo el escándalo de Watergate había manchado al Partido Republicano, perjudicado la moral y comprometido la recaudación de fondos. En una serie de tres editoriales publicadas por el New York Times, instó al presidente Nixon a entregar las grabaciones para “dejar atrás todo este lío”. Goldwater, que describió a Nixon como “la persona más deshonesta que he conocido en mi vida”, desempeñó un papel decisivo en la dimisión del presidente. En una visita a Nixon en la Casa Blanca junto con los congresistas republicanos John Rhodes y Hugh Scott Jr. el 7 de agosto de 1974, Goldwater le dijo el presidente que el caso estaba perdido y lo convenció de dimitir.
Provenance
The artist; gift 1984 to NPG through donation of Mrs. Constance Inglis, White Marsh, Va.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view