Spiro Agnew

Born: 1918-11-09

Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second of two vice presidents to resign the position, the first being John C. Calhoun in 1832. Agnew was born in Baltimore to a Greek immigrant father and an American mother. He attended Johns Hopkins University and graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law. He was a campaign aide for U.S. Representative James Devereux in the 1950s, and was appointed to the Baltimore County Board of Zoning Appeals in 1957. In 1962, he was elected Baltimore county executive. In 1966, Agnew was elected governor of Maryland, defeating his Democratic opponent George P. Mahoney and independent candidate Hyman A. Pressman. At the 1968 Republican National Convention, Richard Nixon asked Agnew to place his name in nomination, and named him as running mate. Agnew's centrist reputation interested Nixon; the law and order stance he had taken in the wake of civil unrest that year appealed to aides such as Pat Buchanan. Agnew made a number of gaffes during the campaign, but his rhetoric pleased many Republicans, and he may have made the difference in several key states. Nixon and Agnew defeated the Democratic ticket of incumbent vice president Hubert Humphrey and his running mate, Senator Edmund Muskie, and American Independent Party candidates George Wallace and Curtis LeMay. As vice president, Agnew was often called upon to attack the administration's enemies. In the years of his vice presidency, Agnew moved to the right, appealing to conservatives who were suspicious of moderate stances taken by Nixon. In the presidential election of 1972, Nixon and Agnew were re-elected for a second term, defeating Senator George McGovern and his running mate Sargent Shriver in one of the largest landslides in American history.


Placeholder

All the President's Men

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 1976-04-09

During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial...

Movie page

Cold Turkey

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1971-02-19

Reverend Brooks leads the town in a contest to stop smoking for a month, But some tobacco...

Movie page

The War at Home

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1979-12-01

Documentary film about the anti-war movement in the Madison, Wisconsin area during the time of...

Movie page

Reagan

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2011-02-07

Based on the story of Americas enigmatic career of one of the revered architects of the modern...

Movie page

Our Nixon

as Self
Released: 2013-01-23

Never before seen Super 8 home movies filmed by Richard Nixon's closest aides - and convicted...

Movie page

Mike Wallace Is Here

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2019-07-26

For over half a century, 60 Minutes' fearsome newsman Mike Wallace went head-to-head with the...

Movie page

The State Funeral of Richard Nixon

as Self
Released: 1994-04-27

A public memorial service was held on April 27, attended by world dignitaries from 85 countries...

Movie page

Hubert H. Humphrey: The Art of the Possible

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2010-10-03

For the last half of the 20th century, America was consumed by two struggles: the civil rights...

Movie page

The Inauguration of Richard M. Nixon

as Self
Released: 1969-01-20

The first inauguration of Richard Nixon as the 37th president of the United States was held on...

Movie page

The Second Inauguration of Richard M. Nixon

as Self
Released: 1973-01-20

The second inauguration of Richard Nixon as president of the United States was held on Saturday,...

Movie page

Kraft Music Hall

as Self
First aired: 1958-10-08

Kraft Music Hall is an umbrella title for several television series aired by NBC in the United...

TV Show page