P. Spiro Agnew
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| P. Spiro Agnew | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | P. Spiro Agnew |
| Caption | Agnew in 1969 |
| Office | Vice President of the United States |
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Term start | September 10, 1969 |
| Term end | October 10, 1973 |
| Preceded | Hubert Humphrey |
| Succeeded | Gerald Ford |
| Birth name | Parry Spiro Agnew |
| Birth date | November 9, 1918 |
| Birth place | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Death date | September 17, 1996 |
| Death place | Berlin, Maryland |
| Party | Republican Party |
| Spouse | Elinor Judefind |
P. Spiro Agnew
P. Spiro Agnew was an American politician who served as the 39th Vice President of the United States under Richard Nixon. A former Baltimore County executive and Maryland attorney, he became nationally prominent for his combative rhetoric against opponents including anti-war protesters, mainstream media outlets, and political adversaries. His vice presidency and subsequent resignation following criminal charges made him a central figure in the political controversies of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Early life and education
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Agnew was the child of Greek immigrants from Nafpaktos and raised in a working-class neighborhood. He attended local schools in Baltimore County, graduating from Baltimore City College before enrolling at Johns Hopkins University for undergraduate study. After military service, he completed legal training at the University of Baltimore School of Law, earning a law degree that qualified him for admission to the Maryland Bar and launching a career as an attorney in Baltimore County.
Military service and legal career
Agnew served in the United States Army during World War II in the European Theater, seeing action and receiving military honors typical of officers who served overseas. After his discharge, he returned to Maryland and entered private practice, working as a prosecutor in the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office and later serving in roles connected to local law enforcement and judicial administration. His legal work brought him into contact with Maryland political networks, including figures in the Republican Party and municipal governance, positioning him for elected office.
Political rise in Maryland
Agnew's early political career included election to countywide office as Baltimore County Executive where he gained recognition for administrative reforms and fiscal management praised by local Republican officials and business leaders. He won statewide attention when he ran for and was elected Governor of Maryland in 1966, defeating opponents from the Democratic Party and aligning himself with conservative law-and-order themes that resonated amid urban unrest such as the 1968 Baltimore riots and national turmoil following the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. His governorship intersected with prominent leaders including Spiro Agnew's counterparts in other states and national figures in the Nixon campaign.
Vice presidency (1969–1973)
Selected as Richard Nixon's running mate in 1968, Agnew took office as Vice President in 1969, presiding over the United States Senate during an era marked by the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and contentious relations with the NAACP and civil society groups. As Vice President, he became known for trenchant public attacks against critics such as Daniel Ellsberg, editors at publications like The New York Times and broadcasters including CBS News, and commentators in The Washington Post. His rhetoric emphasized opposition to anti-war activists, protesters associated with the Students for a Democratic Society, and members of the Democratic political establishment, contributing to a polarized national discourse alongside figures like John Mitchell and Henry Kissinger.
Resignation, criminal charges, and plea bargain
During his tenure, investigations by state and federal authorities examined allegations of corruption tied to his time as Baltimore County Executive and Governor of Maryland, including accusations involving contractors and consultants. In 1973, facing criminal charges related to tax evasion and income from alleged kickbacks, Agnew negotiated a legal resolution culminating in a plea bargain in which he pleaded no contest to a single felony charge of tax evasion. Concurrent with the legal agreement, he tendered his resignation as Vice President, an outcome that paralleled the broader legal and political crises swirling around the Watergate scandal and figures such as John N. Mitchell and H. R. Haldeman. His resignation triggered the procedures of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, leading to the appointment of Gerald Ford as Vice President and later succession to the presidency.
Later life and legacy
After leaving office, Agnew paid fines, served probation, and retreated from active electoral politics, undertaking private legal work, consulting, and public speaking with visits to venues linked to conservative causes and commentators including organizations in the conservative movement. He authored memoirs and commentaries that engaged with debates involving contemporaries like William F. Buckley Jr., Milton Friedman, and various media outlets. Historical assessments of Agnew weigh his role in shaping 20th-century political rhetoric against the legal and ethical failures that ended his career, with historians and political scientists citing connections to studies of political corruption, executive-legislative relations, and the Nixon administration alongside events such as the Watergate scandal and shifts in the Republican Party during the 1970s and 1980s.
Category:Vice Presidents of the United States Category:1918 births Category:1996 deaths Category:Maryland politicians