Spiro Agnew

Spiro Theodore Agnew
39th Vice President of the United States
In office January 20, 1969 – October 10, 1973
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Hubert Humphrey
Succeeded by	Gerald Ford
55th Governor of Maryland
In office January 25, 1967 – January 7, 1969
Preceded by	J. Millard Tawes
Succeeded by	Marvin Mandel
3rd Baltimore County Executive
In office 1962–1966
Preceded by	Christian H. Kahl
Succeeded by	Dale Anderson
Personal details
Born	November 9, 1918(1918-11-09) Baltimore, Maryland
Died	September 17, 1996 (aged 77) Berlin, Maryland
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Judy Agnew
Children	Pamela Agnew James Rand Agnew Susan Agnew Kimberly Agnew
Alma mater	Johns Hopkins University University of Baltimore School of Law
Religion	Episcopalian
Military service
Service/branch	United States Army
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Bronze Star Medal

Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39^th Vice President of the United States. He served under President Richard Nixon. He was also the 55^th governor of the state of Maryland and the first Greek American governor in United States history.

He is most famous for his resignation in the fall of 1973 after he was under investigation for the crimes of extortion, tax fraud, bribery, and conspiracy. In October he was charged with having taken bribes a little more than $100,000 while in office.

Agnew is the only U.S. Vice President in history to leave office because of criminal charges. Ten years later, in January 1983, he paid the state of Maryland almost $270,000 as a result of a civil suit that came from the bribery allegations. He was only the second vice president to resign the office (John C. Calhoun had been the first).

Early life

Spiro Agnew was born in Baltimore, in the state of Maryland. His father was Theodore Spiros Agnew, a Greek immigrant who shortened his name from Anagnostopoulos when he moved to the USA, and Margaret Akers, a native of Virginia.

Electoral history

Baltimore County Executive, 1962

• Spiro Agnew (R) - elected unopposed

Governor of Maryland, 1966

• Spiro Agnew (R) - 455,318 (49.50%)
• George P. Mahoney (D) - 373,543 (40.61%)
• Hyman A. Pressman (I) - 90,899 (9.88%)

1968 Republican National Convention (Vice Presidential tally)

• Spiro Agnew - 1,119 (83.95%)
• George Romney - 186 (13.95%)
• Abstaining - 16 (1.20%)
• John Lindsay - 10 (0.75%)
• Edward Brooke - 1 (0.08%)
• James A. Rhodes - 1 (0.08%)

United States presidential election, 1968

• Richard Nixon/Spiro Agnew (R) - 31,783,783 (43.4%) and 301 electoral votes (32 states carried)
• Hubert Humphrey/Edmund Muskie (D) - 31,271,839 (42.7%) and 191 electoral votes (13 states and D.C. carried)
• George Wallace/Curtis LeMay (American Independent) - 9,901,118 (13.5%) and 46 electoral votes (5 states carried)

1972 Republican National Convention (Vice Presidential tally)

• Spiro Agnew (inc.) - 1,345 (99.78%)
• Abstaining - 2 (0.15%)
• David Brinkley - 1 (0.07%)

United States presidential election, 1972

• Richard Nixon/Spiro Agnew (R) (inc.) - 47,168,710 (60.7%) and 520 electoral votes (49 states carried)
• George McGovern/Sargent Shriver (D) - 29,173,222 (37.5) and 17 electoral votes (1 state and D.C. carried)
• John Hospers/Theodora Nathalia Nathan (Libertarian) - 3,674 (0.00%) and 1 electoral vote (Republican faithless elector)
• John G. Schmitz/Thomas J. Anderson (AI) - 1,100,868 (1.4%) and 0 electoral votes
• Linda Jenness/Andrew Pulley (Socialist Workers) - 83,380 (0.1%)
• Benjamin Spock/Julius Hobson (People's) - 78,759 (0.1%)

Death

Agnew died of leukemia in Berlin, Maryland.

Other websites

• The 30th Anniversary of Agnew's Resignation As Vice President (University of Maryland)
• The Archives of Maryland collection of speeches, messages and other public papers during Agnews governorship 1967-69