Spiro Theodore Agnew
was the 39th vice president of the United
States. As such, he performed from 1969 - 1973,
which made him
Richard M. Nixon's
vice crook err... president.
This also made the
Vietnam
War one of his
problems to deal with. Although it
was more the opponents of this war
Agnew had a problem with.
Spiro Agnew's Exit
Spiro Agnew resigned his vice
presidency on October 10, 1973.
He was the first vice president who
resigned under duress. Welcome to the Nixon administration.
Why did Spiro Agnew have to quit his job?
Spiro was under investigation by a
Baltimore grand jury for extortion, bribery, tax evasion. The charges reached all the way back to the days when Spiro
T. Agnew was the governor of Maryland. But it was rumored that he
was still very fond of receiving a gift here or there, even as vice president.
Spiro threw a tantrum, argued he was
untouchable, and chained himself to his office chair. When the
impeachment clouds over Nixon's head got darker because of Nixon's
involvement in the
Watergate Scandal, Spiro's own
people were all of a sudden eager to see him retire. Why was that?
If Nixon had gotten the boot via
impeachment proceedings, Vice President Agnew would have been
the new president. Given Agnew's own knapsack of criminal
investigations - regarding a completely different set of crookeries,
mind you -
federal indictments were in the air.
SPIRO T. AGNEW AND RICHARD NIXON
1969 Front Cover Crooks Unite
What did the spin doctor order?
A deal was negotiated, Agnew pleaded
guilty to one tiny count of income-tax evasion.
Frank Sinatra loaned
him some bucks and Agnew paid $160,000 in back taxes.
Agnew wrote his
letter of resignation and forwarded it to Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger, cleaned
up his desk, was fined $10,000, moved to Rancho Mirage in
California, grew bitter, and crooketeered
henceforth as a private business consultant.
On October 12, 1973, Nixon, who was
still in the saddle at this point, appointed House Republican Leader
Gerald R. Ford as the new vice president.
Ford took office on December 6, 1973.
Waiting for Apollo 9 lift off:
Wernher von Braun (center),
George Mueller (with headphones) and Spiro Agnew
in the launch control room at Kennedy Space Center March 3, 1969
Photo NASA
Spiro Agnew's Roots and Family
Spiro Agnew's
father was Greek immigrant
Spiro Theodore Anagnostopoulos.
Spiro Sr changed his last name to Agnew, which
rolled a bit easier off the tongue.
In 1942, Spiro Jr
married Judy, aka
Elinor Isabel Judefind.
SPIRO T. AGNEW congratulates
APOLLO 17 launch team personnel
December 7, 1972
Photo NASA
Spiro Agnew's Speeches
Spiro Agnew was
always good for an interesting speech and some
colorful expressions. He was particularly
outspoken against the folks from the media.
Agnew's "nattering
nabobs of negativism" was perhaps one of his
best lines. Here are
a few more excerpts.
Spiro Agnew and the Hippies
Spiro Agnew and the evil TV commentators
Spiro T. Agnew's Short Biography
November 9, 1918
Birth
in Baltimore, Maryland
Attends public schools
1937
Studies chemistry at Johns Hopkins
University
Studies law at the University of
Baltimore Law School
1942
Marries
Gets
drafted into the army during
World War II,
comes home with a Bronze Star for
his service in France and Germany
1947
Receives law degree and practices
law practice in a Baltimore firm
Sets
up his own law practice in Towson, a
Baltimore suburb
1962
Elected to public office Baltimore
county
1967
Governor of Maryland
1968
Nomination for vice presidency
1969 -
1973
Vice
president under President Richard
Nixon
Summer
1973
Investigation by Baltimore grand
jury
October 10, 1973
Resigns vice presidency
1974
Disbarred by the state of Maryland
1994
Nixon
dies. Despite his bitterness, Agnew
attends Nixon's funeral. "I decided
after twenty years of resentment to
put it aside."
September 17, 1996
Death
of leukemia in Berlin, Maryland
Spiro Agnew's Writings
Spiro Agnew
authored his memoir, Go Quietly... Or Else
(1980). He also wrote a novel, The Canfield
Decision (1976).
Also called the
Persian Wars, the Greco-Persian Wars were
fought for almost half a century from 492 BC -
449 BC. Greece won against enormous odds. Here
is more:
