Paul Laxalt
| Paul Laxalt | |
|---|---|
 |
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| General Chairman of the Republican National Committee | |
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In office January 28, 1983 – January 23, 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
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United States Senator from Nevada |
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In office December 18, 1974 – January 3, 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Alan Bible |
| Succeeded by | Harry Reid |
| 22nd Governor of Nevada | |
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In office January 2, 1967 – January 4, 1971 |
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| Lieutenant | Edward Fike |
| Preceded by | Grant Sawyer |
| Succeeded by | Mike O'Callaghan |
| 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Nevada | |
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In office January 1, 1963 – January 2, 1967 |
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| Governor | Grant Sawyer |
| Preceded by | Maude Frazier |
| Succeeded by | Edward Fike |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Paul Dominique Laxalt August 2, 1922 Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Jackalyn Ross (1946–1972) Carol Laxalt (1976–present) |
| Relations | 12 grandchildren |
| Children | 6 |
| Alma mater |
Santa Clara University University of Denver |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
| Battles/wars | |
Paul Dominique Laxalt (born August 2, 1922) is an American politician who was Governor of Nevada from 1967 to 1971 and a United States Senator from 1974 to 1987. In the media, the words "son of a Basque sheepherder" often accompanied his name. He was one of Ronald Reagan's closest friends in politics. In fact, after Reagan was elected President in 1980, the national press began to refer to Laxalt as "The First Friend." He is the older brother of Robert Laxalt, who was a noted and prolific writer. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Laxalt was born on August 2, 1922 in Reno, Nevada, the son of Basque parents, Therese (Alpetche) and Dominique Laxalt, a shepherd, both of whom had emigrated in the early 1900s from their homeland in the Pyrenees, which straddle France and Spain. Dominique became wealthy in the sheep industry, but he lost everything in the early 1920s. Thereafter, he went back to shepherding for the rest of his career. Therese, who had been trained at Paris's Cordon Bleu cooking school, eventually opened a restaurant called The French Hotel in the Carson City, Nev.
Therese and Dominique had six children: Paul, Robert (born in 1923), Suzanne (1925), John (1926), Marie (1928) and Peter (1931). The Laxalt children were raised largely by their mother as Dominique spent long periods of time away from the household as he tended to his sheep in the deserts and mountains of Nevada. The children all helped Therese at The French Hotel. It was there that Paul first acquired an interest in politics as he listened in on the conversations of the politicians who patronized the restaurant (including the legendary U.S. Senator Patrick McCarran). Paul played on the 1938 state basketball champion team at Carson High School before graduating and attending Santa Clara University. When World War II broke out, Paul joined the U.S. Army and served as a medic, seeing action in the Battle of Leyte in the Philippines. After the war, he graduated from the University of Denver (1949) law school.
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