Thomas Eagleton United States Senator from Missouri In office December 27, 1968 – January 5, 1987 Preceded by Edward V. Long Succeeded by Kit Bond Born September 4, 1929(1929-09-04) St. Louis, Missouri Died March 4, 2007 (aged 77) St. Louis, Missouri Nationality American Political party Democratic Spouse Barbara Smith Eagleton Religion Roman Catholic

Thomas Eagleton and George McGovern on July 24, 1972 cover of Time magazine after his nomination for vice president on the Democratic ticket

Thomas Eagleton on August 7, 1972 cover of Time Magazine after his withdrawal for vice president on the Democratic ticket. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Edward Vaughn Long ( July 18, 1908 - November 6, 1972) was a United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond (born March 6, 1939) is a former governor and current senior United States Senator of Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and

Thomas Eagleton

Thomas Francis Eagleton (September 4, 1929 – March 4, 2007) was a United States Senator from Missouri, serving from 1968-1987. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) He is best remembered for briefly being a Democratic Vice Presidential nominee, sharing the ticket under George McGovern in 1972. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death A candidate is the prospective recipient of an Award or honor or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position for example to be elected George Stanley McGovern The United States presidential election of 1972 was waged on the issues of radicalism and the Vietnam War. He was an adjunct professor of Public Affairs at Washington University for over a decade. Public administration can be broadly described as the development implementation and study of branches of government Policy.

Early life and political career

Eagleton was the son of another St. Louis politician, Mark D. Eagleton (who had run for mayor), and Zitta Swanson.

He graduated from St. Louis Country Day School, enlisted in the U.S. Navy for two years, and graduated from Amherst College in 1950, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Mary Institute and St Louis Country Day School or " MICDS " is a secular co-educational private school for about 1200 students in grades JK-12 which are separated Amherst College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. Delta Kappa Epsilon ( ΔΚΕ; also pronounced D-K-E or "Deke" is a Fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore He then attended Harvard Law School. Harvard Law School (also known as Harvard Law or HLS) is one of the professional Graduate schools of Harvard University.

Eagleton married Barbara Ann Smith of St. Louis on January 26, 1956. Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A son, Terence, was born in 1959, and a daughter, Christin, was born in 1960. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

He was elected circuit attorney of the City of St. Louis in 1956, and Missouri Attorney General in 1960, at the age of 31 (the youngest in the state's history). Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In most Common law jurisdictions the Attorney General, or Attorney-General, is the main legal advisor to the government and in some jurisdictions may in addition He was elected Missouri Lieutenant Governor in 1964, and won a U. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. S. Senate seat in 1968. The 1968 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate which coincided with the 1968 presidential election.

Between 1960 and 1966, Eagleton checked himself into the hospital three times for physical and nervous exhaustion, receiving electric shock treatments twice. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ^[1]

The hospitalizations, which were not widely publicized, had little effect on his political aspirations, although the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was to note, in 1972, immediately after his vice presidential nomination:

He had been troubled with gastric disturbances, which have led to occasional hospitalizations. The St Louis Post-Dispatch is the only major city-wide Newspaper in St Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The stomach troubles have contributed to rumors that he had a drinking problem. Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions ^[1]

1972 Presidential Campaign

Selection as Vice Presidential Candidate

In 1972, Richard Nixon appeared unbeatable. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. When Senator George McGovern won the Democratic nomination for President, virtually all of the high-profile Democrats such as Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale and Birch Bayh turned down offers to run on the ticket. George Stanley McGovern Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (born February 22 1932 is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (born January 5, 1928) is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Birch Evans Bayh II (born January 22, 1928) is a former United States Senator from Indiana (1963 to 1981

Having been declined by the "name" Senators, McGovern turned to lesser-known candidates, and Eagleton, who had opposed the Vietnam War, was selected on July 14 with only a minimal background check. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Eagleton made no mention of his earlier hospitalizations. Newspapers soon revealed them. McGovern and Eagleton initially joked about the case with Eagleton saying he would undergo a psychiatric examination if other candidates (e. g. , Nixon) would do the same. But the charges kept coming. Columnist Jack Anderson wrote a column falsely accusing Eagleton of being arrested for drunk driving — a charge that Anderson had to retract. Jackson Northman Anderson ( October 19, 1922 &ndash December 17, 2005) was an American

Replacement on the Ticket

McGovern said he would back Eagleton “1000%”, but on August 1, Eagleton withdrew at McGovern's request and, after new search by McGovern, was replaced by Kennedy in-law Sargent Shriver. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman The Kennedy family are a family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P Robert Sargent Shriver Jr (born November 9 1915 is an American Democratic Politician and Activist.

A Time magazine poll taken at the time found that 77 percent of the respondents said "Eagleton's medical record would not affect their vote. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and " Nonetheless, the press made frequent references to his shock therapy, and McGovern feared that this would detract from his campaign platform. [1]

McGovern's handling of the controversy was an opening for the Republican campaign to raise serious questions about his judgment. In the general election, the Democratic ticket won only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D

Amnesty, Abortion and Acid

On April 25, 1972, George McGovern won the Massachusetts primary and journalist Bob Novak phoned Democratic politicians around the country, who agreed with his assessment that blue-collar workers voting for McGovern did not understand what he really stood for. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak (born February 26, 1931) is a Conservative American political commentator syndicated columnist and journalist ^[2] On April 27, 1972 Novak reported in a column that an unnamed Democratic senator had talked to him about McGovern. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[3] "The people don’t know McGovern is for amnesty, abortion and legalization of pot," the Senator said. ^[3] "Once middle America - Catholic middle America, in particular - finds this out, he’s dead. "^[3] The label stuck and McGovern became known as the candidate of "amnesty, abortion and acid. "^[2][4]

Novak was accused of manufacturing the quote. ^[3] To rebut the criticism, Novak took Eagleton to lunch after the campaign and asked whether he could identify him as the source. ^[3] The senator said he would not allow his identity to be revealed. ^[3] "Oh, he had to run for re-election", said Novak. ^[2] "The McGovernites would kill him if they knew he had said that. " Novak added. ^[2]

On July 15, 2007, Novak disclosed on Meet the Press that the unnamed senator was Thomas Eagleton. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. ^[2] Political analyst Bob Shrum says that Eagleton would never have been selected as McGovern's running mate if it had been known at the time that Eagleton was the source of the quote. Robert M "Bob" Shrum (born 1943) is an American political consultant, who has worked on numerous Democratic campaigns ^[2] "Boy, do I wish he would have let you publish his name. Then he never would have been picked as vice president," said Shrum. ^[2] "Because the two things, the two things that happened to George McGovern—two of the things that happened to him—were the label you put on him, number one, and number two, the Eagleton disaster. We had a messy convention, but he could have, I think in the end, carried eight or 10 states, remained politically viable. And Eagleton was one of the great train wrecks of all time. "^[2]

Re-election to Senate

Missouri returned Eagleton to the Senate in 1974 and 1980. The US Senate election of 1974 was held in the wake of the Watergate scandal Richard M The 1980 US Senate elections coincided with Ronald Reagan 's election to the Presidency.

During the 1980 election, Eagleton's niece Elizabeth Eagleton Weigand and lawyer Stephen Poludniak were arrested for blackmail after they threatened to spread false accusations that Eagleton was bisexual. Elizabeth Eagleton Weigand was convicted along with her attorney Stephen Poludniak of attempting to Blackmail Weigand's uncle United States Senator Thomas Eagleton Stephen E Poludniak was an attorney who was convicted with Elizabeth Eagleton Weigand, of attempting to Blackmail United States Senator Thomas Eagleton Blackmail is the crime of threatening to reveal substantially true information about a person to the public a family member or associates unless a demand made upon the Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation Eagleton told reporters that the extorted money was to be turned over to the Church of Scientology. The Church of Scientology is the largest organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. Poludniak and Weigand appealed the conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that they could not have not gotten a fair trial because of "the massive publicity surrounding this case, coupled with the pre-existing sentiment in favor of Sen. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Eagleton. " The Court turned down the appeal.

Eagleton did not seek a fourth term in 1986. The US Senate election 1986 was an election for the United States Senate in the middle of Ronald Reagan 's second presidential term

Senate career

In the Senate, Eagleton was active in matters dealing with foreign relations, intelligence, defense, education, health care, and the environment. The foreign policy of the United States is highly influential on the world stage as it is a Superpower. Intelligence (abbreviated int or intel) is not Information, but the product of evaluated information valued for its currency and relevance rather than The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States Education in the United States is provided mainly by government with control and funding coming from three levels federal, state, and local. Health care in the United States is provided by many separate legal entities See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and He was instrumental to the Senate's passage of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, and sponsored the amendment that halted the bombing in Cambodia and effectively ended American involvement in the Vietnam War. A Clean Air Act describes one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of Smog and Air pollution in general The Clean Water Act is the primary Federal law in the United States governing Water pollution. The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

Post-Senate Career

In 1987, Eagleton returned to St. Louis as an attorney, political commentator, and professor at Washington University in St. Louis, where he (up until his death) held the title of Professor of Public Affairs. An attorney at law (or attorney-at-law) in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute In 2006, he taught a seminar on the Presidency and the Constitution at Saint Louis University School of Law. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. Saint Louis University School of Law ' is one of the professional graduate schools of Saint Louis University. He was a partner in the St. Louis law firm of Thompson Coburn and was a chief negotiator for a coalition of local business interests that lured the Los Angeles Rams football team to St. The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St Louis. He was the author of three books on politics, and the 8th Circuit Federal Courthouse in St. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following Louis is named after him.

He has been honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

In January 2001, he joined other Missouri Democrats to oppose the nomination of former Missouri governor John Ashcroft for United States Attorney General. January 2001: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August John David Ashcroft (born May 9 1942) is an American Politician who was the 79th United States Attorney General. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement Eagleton's quote was evoked as the rallying cry of the debate and was entered into the official Judiciary Committee record:

"John Danforth would have been my first choice. The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary (informally Senate Judiciary Committee) is a Standing committee of the United States Senate, the John Claggett "Jack" Danforth (born September 5, 1936) is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican John Ashcroft would have been my last choice. "^[5]

Another recent appearance was with Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill in the 2006; McCaskill won, defeating incumbent Jim Talent. Claire Conner McCaskill (born July 24, 1953) is an American Democratic politician currently the junior United States Senator from The 2006 United States midterm elections were held on Tuesday November 7 2006. James Matthes "Jim" Talent (born October 18 1956 is an American politician and former Senator from Missouri.

Eagleton led a group, "Catholics for Amendment 2", composed of prominent Catholics, that challenged church leaders' opposition to stem cell research and to the proposed state constitutional amendment (#2) that would have protected such research in Missouri. Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (The Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative is a state constitutional amendment initiative that concerns Stem cell research and Stem cell controversy is the ethical debate centered on research involving the creation usage and destruction of Human embryonic stem cells Some opponents of the research argue The group e-mailed a letter to fellow Catholics explaining reasons for supporting Amendment 2. ^[6] The amendment ensures that any federally approved stem cell research and treatments would be available in Missouri. "[T]he letter from Catholics for Amendment 2 said the group felt a moral obligation to respond to what it called misinformation, scare tactics and distortions being spread by opponents of the initiative, including the church. "^[6]

Death

Thomas Eagleton died in St. Louis on Sunday, March 4, 2007, of heart and respiratory complications. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Eagleton donated his body to medical science at Washington University. ^[7]He wrote a farewell letter to his family and friends months before he died, citing that his dying wishes were for people to "go forth in love and peace — be kind to dogs — and vote Democratic. "^[8]

Notes

See also

References

• Clinton, Bill (2005). William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States My Life. Vintage. ISBN 1-4000-3003-X.

External links

• Thomas Eagleton at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Time magazine — July 24, 1972 cover article
• Time magazine — August 7, 1972 cover article on withdrawal
• History Channel on Eagleton's withdrawal speech
• Thomas Eagleton Photographs in the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri-St. Louis