Richard Milhous Nixon was the President of the United States from January 20, 1969 until he resigned on August 9, 1974, the first and only president to do so, as of 2016. Nixon took office after the passage of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs and did not make a major effort to repeal them, though he did advocate a "New Federalism" program that would devolve powers to state and local governments. Nixon instead concentrated on foreign affairs, and his Nixon Doctrine called for indirect assistance to American allies in the Cold War, with the "Vietnamization" of the Vietnam War being the most notable example of his doctrine. Nixon pursued a detente with the People's Republic of China, taking advantage of the Sino-Soviet split and significantly altering the nature of the Cold War. The Nixon presidency also saw the creation of the EPA, integration of Southern public schools, and the Apollo program successfully land Americans on the Moon during Nixon's presidency. Nixon's accomplishments were largely overshadowed by the scandals of the administration, and both Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew stepped down from office during Nixon's second term. In 1974, Nixon was succeeded by Gerald Ford, who Nixon had chosen to succeed Agnew in 1973.