Harold Stassen was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 to 1961. He was fairly popular during his presidency, and though not considered to be an awesome president, is still said to be fairly good. After serving as President, he went on to be the president of the University of Philadelphia until 1979, when he resigned. Until his retirement in 1995, he served as a popular centrist political commentator. Stassen is noted for being the first Republican to serve as President after nearly two decades of Democratic domination. He was succeeded by Richard Nixon, a Republican senator from California, who continued Stassen's policies, although with less success.