1970's Government and Politics | Ervin, Samuel J., Jr., 1896-1985

CHAIRMAN OF THE WATERGATE
COMMITTEE; SENATOR FROM
NORTH CAROLINA

A Watergate Celebrity.

One of the most colorful figures to emerge from the Watergate affair, Sen. Sam Ervin (D-North Carolina) became nationally acclaimed for his deft management of the Senate Select Committee to Investigate Presidential Campaign Practices (commonly referred to as the Watergate committee or the Ervin committee). His leadership, visible to millions daily during the televised Watergate proceedings, seemed to exemplify the best in American politics: fairness, honesty, a passion for truth, and a reverence for the Constitution. By the end of summer 1973, he had become an American folk hero, and "Uncle Sam" fan clubs, complete with T-shirts and buttons featuring Ervin, appeared around the country.

Reluctant Politician.

The son of a Morganton, North Carolina, lawyer, Ervin grew up memorizing the King James Bible, Shakespeare,...