John Wayne (PJW)

John Wayne (born Marion Robert Morrison; May 26, 1907-) was an American actor, director, producer, and 34th President of the United States.

Nationally known for his role in his western films, Wayne was chosen as the Republican nomination for presidency at the 1953 Republican National Convention to overcome the deadlock between the Dewey and Taft factions. Wayne, representing himself as a common American man, used his fame and populism to defeat the Democrats in the 1953 election, making him to first president to never hold a public or military office.

A vocal anticommunist, Wayne fought against communism at home and abroad. During his 8 years of presidency he deployed troops in Cuba and Vietnam, and McCarthyism at home ran rampart.

Domestic life crumbled under Wayne, as racial violence between blacks and whites began following the Little Rock Riot, and only escalated during his last term, with his presidency ended with many black neighborhoods surrounded by walls and turned into ghettos. An iconic image of his presidency is the barricaded and walled "Fortified White House", to protect him and his family from rioters. The Fortified White House began a dark period of American history that would not truly end until the end of the Cold War.