1956 Republican National Convention
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.
