Paul Laxalt Papers

Paul Laxalt, born in 1932 in Carson City, is the son of Basque emigrants. As a child, he helped his mother, Thréese, in the French Hotel of Carson City. Paul Laxalt became interested in politics while listening to the customers of the French Hotel. He started studying at Santa Clara University, but when World War II began, he joined the U.S. Army. He graduated from law school at the University of Denver and served as a district attorney from 1950 to 1954.

His first attempt to run for Governor of Nevada was in 1962. After several circumstances arose, he changed his mind and ran for lieutenant governor instead. He served in that position from 1963 to 1967. In 1964, he ran for the United States Senate, but he lost to Howard Cannon by a narrow margin. He decided to run for Governor again in 1965. He served as Governor from 1967 to 1971. After ending his term as Nevada Governor, he and his family opened a hotel and casino in Carson City. Some years after leaving politics, the Republican Party asked him to run for the Nevada U.S. Senate seat. He served as Senator for two terms, from 1974 to 1987.

Laxalt was a close friend of Ronald Reagan. They worked together on many issues while they both held the office of Governor of Nevada and California. One of the significant outcomes of their partnership was the deal covering the preservation of Lake Tahoe. Their friendship continued after Reagan’s days as Governor of California; Laxalt worked on three of Reagan’s presidential campaigns and was a respected advisor to him in the Oval Office.

SOURCES: AUÑAMENDI. Paul Laxalt Alpetche. [Online] http://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/eu/laxalt-alpetche-paul/ar-87593/