Paul Laxalt

Paul Dominique Laxalt (born August 2, 1922) of Nevada was a former Republican District Attorney, the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, the 22nd Governor of Nevada and U.S. Senator. In the media, the words "son of a Basque sheepherder" often accompanied his name. He was one of Ronald Reagan's closest friends in politics. In fact, after Reagan was elected President in 1980, the national press began to refer to Laxalt as "The First Friend." Laxalt was born on August 2, 1922 in Reno, Nevada, the son of a Basque shepherd, Dominique, and a Basque mother, Therese, who had both immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s. Dominique became wealthy in the sheep industry, but he lost everything during the Great Depression. At that point,...