Political life

Born one mile south of Red Lion, Ohio

Red Lion, Ohio

Red Lion is an unincorporated settlement in southwestern Clearcreek Township, Warren County, Ohio, United States, at the intersection of State Routes 741, 122, and 123. Red Lion is approximately five miles south of Springboro and five miles northwest of Lebanon, Ohio.Two landmarks in Red Lion are a...

, Nixon was best known as an Ohio politician from Lebanon, Ohio

Lebanon, Ohio

The population at the 2010 census was 20,033. As of the census of 2000, there were 16,962 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,440.6 people per square mile . There were 6,218 housing units at an average density of 528.1 per square mile...

. He served as Warren County

Warren County, Ohio

Warren County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 212,693 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Lebanon. Warren County was erected May 1, 1803, from Hamilton County, and named for Dr...

 Commissioner from 1950-1962, and was then elected to the Ohio House of Representatives

Ohio House of Representatives

The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....

 in 1962, a post he maintained for 30 years until his retirement in 1992. Nixon rose to Minority Leader

Minority leader

In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...

 of the Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 in the Ohio House, holding the position longer than any other minority Leader from 1979-1992.

Much of Corwin's status stemmed from his close relationship to Ohio House Speaker Vern Riffe

Vern Riffe

Vernal G. Riffe Jr. was an American politician of the Democratic party. Riffe served for many years in the Ohio House of Representatives and was the longest serving speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives in the history of that institution, holding that office for 20 years.-Life and political...

. In 1988, Riffe was quoted by the Cincinnati Enquirer as saying, "I don't have any brother. Corwin is how I look at a brother I never had." His relationship with Speaker Riffe caused some consternation with the conservative wing of the Republican members of the Ohio House, however, his relationship gave him tremendous influence as a Republican.

Personal life

Nixon also had a passion for Standardbred horse

Standardbred horse

Standardbreds are a breed of horse best known for their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop. Developed in North America, the breed is now recognized worldwide for its harness racing ability...

 racing. He was manager and part owner of Lebanon Raceway

Lebanon Raceway

Lebanon Raceway is a harness racing track located in Lebanon, Ohio, at the Warren County Fairgrounds. The track conducts live racing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and holds meets beginning in autumn and running through the winter, as well as in the spring...

 in Lebanon, Ohio, a breeder, trainer and driver. He was inducted into the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame

Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame

The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame is a museum in Goshen, New York. The museum collects and preserves the history of harness racing and serves as a hall of fame for trotter horses....

 in Goshen, New York

Goshen (village), New York

Goshen is a village in and the county seat of Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport,...

. in 1992, and also served as President of the United States Trotting Association

United States Trotting Association

The United States Trotting Association, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, is the governing body for the sport of harness racing in the United States. It licenses drivers and trainers; trains racing officials; makes the rules of racing; maintains racing and breeding records; and promotes the sport....

.

Awards and honors

• Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame.
• Honorary Doctor of Law, Ohio University.
• Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame, 1980.
• Corwin M. Nixon Aviation Facility, Great Oaks Joint Vocational School, 1986.
• Corwin M. Nixon Covered Bridge, Waynesville, Ohio, 1982.
• Corwin M. Nixon Park, Mason, Ohio.
• Corwin M. Nixon Bridge, Franklin, Ohio.
• Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 1994.
• Board of Trustees Bethesda Hospital and Grandview Hospitals,
• Corwin M. Nixon Health Center, Lebanon, Ohio October 30, 2008.
• Corwin M. Nixon Community Health Center, Dayton, Ohio.
• Ohio University Phillips Award, for his role in establishing the Ohio University School of Osteopathic Medicine.