Nixon as Congressman

• In 1946 Nixon embarked on his first campaign, running for Congress against five-term Democratic incumbent Jerry Voorhis
• Nixon defeated Voorhis with 55 percent of the vote, even winning Voornis's hometown, and at 33 years old became Congressman of California's 12th District

• In the summer of 1947, Nixon traveled to Western Europe with the House Select Committee on Foreign Aid, led by Congressman Christian Herter, to assess post-war conditions and evaluate the wisdom of Secretary of State George Marshall's plan to send American financial aid for rebuilding.
• Visiting areas of France, Germany, Italy, and Greece, Nixon became convinced that the Marshall Plan was the best way to halt the spread of communism on the continent.

During the Herter committee's time in Europe, Nixon began what would become a lifelong practice: making extensive notes on yellow legal pads of his impressions, conversations, and more.

• When Nixon was up for reelection in 1948, he ran unopposed.

With his reelection guaranteed, Nixon used the time to campaign and raise money for other Republicans all across the country - a habit of party support he would continue for the next two decades.

• In December Chambers produced new evidence: a roll of microfilm that contained photographs of secret documents that Hiss had stolen and given him for passing on to Moscow - including documents with Hiss's handwriting. These became the central evidence in the trial that led to Hiss's conviction on two counts of perjury.
• In August 1948 in a series of sessions before the House Un-American Activities Committee Nixon listened as 3 confessed ex-communist named Whittaker Chambers accused a respected former State Department official named Alger Hiss of having been a communist during the 1930s.
• The committee was impressed with Hiss's protestations of innocence, but Nixon was not convinced and persuaded the committee to continue the investigation.

It was largely because of Nixon's prominent role in the Hiss case that only four years later, Dwight Elsenhower chose Nixon to be his Vice Presidential running mate.