page_title: 1956 Republican National Convention
hierarchical_section_title: 1956 Republican National Convention
caption_attribution_description: English: Oval portrait in red of President Dwight Eisenhower of New York, nominee of the Republican Party in 1956
context_page_description: The 1956 Republican National Convention was held by the Republican Party of the United States at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, from August 20 to August 23, 1956. U.S. Senator William F. Knowland was temporary chairman and former speaker of the House Joseph W. Martin Jr. served as permanent chairman. It renominated President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Vice President Richard M. Nixon as the party's candidates for the 1956 presidential election.
  Eisenhower was expected to be renominated by acclamation at the Convention until a lone delegate decided to vote for a fictitious candidate named "Joe Smith". He voted the same when Nixon was nominated.
  On August 23, 1956, singer Nat King Cole spoke at the Republican Convention.
  The 1956 Republican convention was held after that year's Democratic National Convention. This was unusual, as since 1864, in every election but 1888, Democrats had held their convention second. It has become an informal tradition that the party holding the White House hosts their convention second, but it is unclear when this tradition began.
context_section_description: The 1956 Republican National Convention was held by the Republican Party of the United States at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California,  from August 20 to August 23, 1956. U.S. Senator William F. Knowland was temporary chairman and former speaker of the House Joseph W. Martin Jr. served as permanent chairman. It renominated President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Vice President Richard M. Nixon as the party's candidates for the 1956 presidential election.
  Eisenhower was expected to be renominated by acclamation at the Convention until a lone delegate  decided to vote for a fictitious candidate  named "Joe Smith". He voted the same when Nixon was nominated.
  On August 23, 1956, singer Nat King Cole spoke at the Republican Convention.
  The 1956 Republican convention was held after that year's Democratic National Convention. This was unusual, as since 1864, in every election but 1888, Democrats had held their convention second. It has become an informal tradition that the party holding the White House (which, accordingly, in 1956 had been the Republican Party) hosts their convention second, but it is unclear when this tradition began (Democrats had held the White House and held their conventions second between 1936 and 1952, but it is unclear whether they scheduled their conventions second in these years because of their White House incumbency, or whether they scheduled them second because it was traditional that Democratic National Conventions had been held after the Republican National Convention).
caption: Nominees 
   Eisenhower and Nixon
exif: {}