Thomas Eagleton | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Official portrait, 1967 | |
| United States Senator fromMissouri | |
| In office December 28, 1968 – January 3, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Edward V. Long |
| Succeeded by | Kit Bond |
| 38thLieutenant Governor of Missouri | |
| In office January 11, 1965 – December 27, 1968 | |
| Governor | Warren E. Hearnes |
| Preceded by | Hilary A. Bush |
| Succeeded by | William S. Morris |
| 35thAttorney General of Missouri | |
| In office January 9, 1961 – January 11, 1965 | |
| Governor | John M. Dalton |
| Preceded by | John M. Dalton |
| Succeeded by | Norman H. Anderson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Francis Eagleton (1929-09-04)September 4, 1929 St. Louis,Missouri, US |
| Died | March 4, 2007(2007-03-04) (aged 77) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Amherst College (BA) Harvard University (LLB) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1947–1949 |
Thomas Francis Eagleton (September 4, 1929 – March 4, 2007) was an American lawyer who served as aUnited States senator fromMissouri from 1968 to 1987. He was briefly theDemocratic vice presidential nominee underGeorge McGovern in1972. He suffered from bouts of depression throughout his life, resulting in several hospitalizations, which were kept secret from the public. When they were revealed, it humiliated the McGovern campaign, and Eagleton was forced to quit the race. He later became adjunct professor of public affairs atWashington University in St. Louis.
Eagleton was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Zitta Louise (Swanson) and Mark David Eagleton, a politician who had run for mayor. His paternal grandparents were Irish immigrants, and his mother had Swedish, Irish, French, and Austrian ancestry.[1]
Eagleton graduated fromSt. Louis Country Day School, served in the U.S. Navy for two years, and graduated in 1950 fromAmherst College, where he was a member ofDelta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Sigma chapter). He then attendedHarvard Law School. After graduating in 1953, Eagleton practiced law at his father's firm and later became associated withAnheuser-Busch's legal department.[2]
Eagleton married Barbara Ann Smith of St. Louis on January 26, 1956. A son, Terence, was born in 1959, and a daughter, Christin, in 1963. He was elected circuit attorney of the City of St. Louis in 1956. During his tenure, he appeared on the TV showWhat's My Line? (episode #355) as "District Attorney of St. Louis". (He stumped the panel.)[3][4] He was elected Missouri Attorney General in 1960 at age 31 (the youngest in the state's history). He was elected the 38th lieutenant governor of Missouri in 1964, and won a U.S. Senate seat in1968, unseating incumbentEdward V. Long in the Democratic primary and narrowly defeating CongressmanThomas B. Curtis in the general election.
Eagleton suffered from depression; he checked himself into hospital three times between 1960 and 1966 for physical and nervous exhaustion, receivingelectroconvulsive therapy (shock therapy) twice.[5][6] He later received a diagnosis ofbipolar II fromFrederick K. Goodwin.[7]
The hospitalizations, which were not widely publicized, had little effect on his political aspirations. TheSt. Louis Post-Dispatch noted in 1972, immediately after Eagleton's vice-presidential nomination: "He had been troubled with gastric disturbances, which led to occasional hospitalizations. The stomach troubles have contributed to rumors that he had a drinking problem."[6]
On April 25, 1972, as George McGovern won the MassachusettsDemocratic primary, conservative journalistRobert Novak phoned Democratic politicians around the country. On April 27, 1972, Novak reported in a column his conversation with an unnamed Democratic senator about McGovern.[8][9] Novak quoted the senator as saying:
The people don't know McGovern is for amnesty for draft dodgers, abortion, and legalization of pot. Once middle America—Catholic middle America, in particular—finds this out, he's dead.[8]
Because of the column McGovern became known as the candidate of "amnesty, abortion, and acid",[10][11] even though he only supported thedecriminalization of marijuana and maintained that legalized abortion fell under the purview ofstates' rights.[12][13][14]
On July 15, 2007, several months after Eagleton's death, Novak said onMeet the Press that the unnamed senator was Eagleton.[11] Novak was accused in 1972 of manufacturing the quote, but said that to rebut the criticism, he took Eagleton to lunch after the campaign and asked whether he could identify him as the source; Eagleton refused.[8] "Oh, he had to run for reelection", Novak said. "The McGovernites would kill him if they knew he had said that."[11] Political analystBob Shrum says that Eagleton never would have been selected as McGovern's running mate if it had been known at the time that Eagleton was the source of the quote.[11] "Boy, do I wish he would have let you publish his name. Then he never would have been picked as vice president," said Shrum.[11] "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."[11]
After a large number of prominent Democrats declined to be McGovern's running mate, SenatorGaylord Nelson (who was among those who declined) suggested Eagleton. McGovern chose Eagleton after only a minimal background check, as was customary for vice-presidential selections at the time.[15][16] Eagleton did not mention his hospitalizations, and in fact decided with his wife to keep them secret from McGovern while he was flying to his first meeting with McGovern.
On July 25, 1972, just over two weeks after the1972 Democratic Convention, Eagleton said that news reports that he had received electroshock therapy for clinical depression during the 1960s were true. McGovern initially said he would back Eagleton "1,000 percent". McGovern consulted confidentially with preeminent psychiatrists, including Eagleton's doctors, who advised him that a recurrence of Eagleton's depression was possible and could endanger the country should Eagleton become acting president.[17][18][19][20][21] On August 1, nineteen days after being nominated, Eagleton withdrew at McGovern's request, and after a new search by McGovern, was replaced bySargent Shriver, former U.S. Ambassador to France, and former (founding) director of thePeace Corps and theOffice of Economic Opportunity.[22]
ATime poll taken at the time found that 77% of the respondents said "Eagleton's medical record would not affect their vote." Nonetheless, the press made frequent references to his "shock therapy", and McGovern feared that this would detract from his campaign platform.[23]
McGovern's failure to vet Eagleton[15] and his subsequent handling of the controversy gave occasion 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.
Eagleton was reelected to the Senate in1974 with 60% of the vote againstThomas B. Curtis, who had been his opponent in 1968. In1980, he was reelected by a closer-than-expected margin over St. Louis County ExecutiveGene McNary.
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.[24][25] Eagleton told reporters that the extorted money was to be turned over to theChurch of Scientology.[26] Weigand appealed her conviction, arguing that her trial should have been moved out of St. Louis because of extensive publicity that might have prejudiced jurors. TheU.S. Supreme Court declined her appeal in 1982.[27]
Eagleton did not seek a fourth term in1986. Former Republican GovernorKit Bond succeeded him in the Senate.
In the Senate, Eagleton was active in matters dealing with foreign relations, intelligence, defense, education, health care, and the environment. He was instrumental to the Senate's passage of theClean Air Act and theClean Water Act, and sponsoredthe amendment that halted the bombing in Cambodia and effectively ended American involvement in theVietnam War.
Notably, Eagleton was one of only three senators to oppose the nomination ofGerald Ford as vice president in 1973. The other two senators wereWilliam Hathaway of Maine andGaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.
Eagleton was involved in the unsuccessful attempt to pass theHuman Life Amendment, a series of proposals to amend theUnited States Constitution with the effect of overturning theSupreme Court 1973 decisionRoe v. Wade, which ruled that abortion bans were unconstitutional. The version of the Human Life Amendment in which Eagleton was most involved, the Hatch-Eagleton Human Life Federalism Amendment, was the only one to receive a formal vote in the Senate.[28]
In January 1987, Eagleton returned to Missouri as an attorney, political commentator, and professor at Washington University in St. Louis, where until his death he was professor of public affairs.[29][30] Throughout his Washington University career, Eagleton taught courses in economics with former chairman of theCouncil of Economic AdvisorsMurray Weidenbaum and with history professor Henry W. Berger on the Vietnam War.[30]
On July 23, 1996, Eagleton delivered a warm introductory speech for McGovern during a promotional tour for McGovern's bookTerry: My Daughter's Life-and-Death Struggle with Alcoholism at The Library, Ltd., in St. Louis. At that time, McGovern spoke favorably about Eagleton and reminisced about their short-lived presidential ticket.[31]
During the 2000s, Eagleton served on the Council of Elders for the George and Eleanor McGovern Center for Leadership and Public Service at Dakota Wesleyan University.[32]
In January 2001, he joined other Missouri Democrats to oppose the nomination of former governor and senatorJohn Ashcroft for United States Attorney General. Eagleton was quoted in the officialJudiciary Committee record: "John Danforth would have been my first choice. John Ashcroft would have been my last choice."[33]
In 2005 and 2006, he co-taught a seminar on the U.S. presidency and the Constitution with Joel Goldstein at Saint Louis University School of Law. He was also a partner in the St. Louis law firmThompson Coburn and a chief negotiator for a coalition of local business interests that lured theLos Angeles Rams football team to St. Louis.[29][30] Eagleton authored three books on politics. He strongly supported Democratic Senate nomineeClaire McCaskill in2006; McCaskill defeated incumbentJim Talent.
Eagleton led a group, Catholics forAmendment 2, composed of prominent Catholics who challenged church leaders'opposition to embryonic stem cell research and supported a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have protected such research in Missouri. The group emailed a letter to fellow Catholics explaining reasons for supporting Amendment 2.[34] 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."[34]
Eagleton died in St. Louis on March 4, 2007, of heart and respiratory complications. He donated his body to medical science at Washington University.[35] He wrote a farewell letter to his family and friends months before he died, saying that his dying wishes were for people to "go forth in love and peace—be kind to dogs—and vote Democratic".[36]
Eagleton threw out theceremonial first pitch to end the pregame ceremonies of Game 5 of the1985 World Series.
The8th Circuit federal courthouse in St. Louis is named after Eagleton. Dedicated on September 11, 2000, it is named theThomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse.
Eagleton has been honored with a star on theSt. Louis Walk of Fame.[37]
Eagleton was a Roman Catholic.[38] He strongly opposed abortion despite his reputation as a liberal.[39] His religion was one of the defining factors of his political career, as religion was an important political issue in Missouri. Eagleton's Catholicism increased his appeal to the working class of St. Louis and offset the "elitist stigma" of his private school education. At the same time, Missouri's suburbs were staunchly anti-Catholic, which proved a challenge during the 1960 election.[38]
Eagleton believed the Catholic Church was "a vital part of American life, conscience and thought". He described himself as "aPope John XXIII and an ArchbishopJohn L. May Catholic", and considered these two figures his religious mentors.[40] Because of his religion and youth, Eagleton was often compared toJohn F. Kennedy; in 1972, theSt. Louis Post Dispatch wrote: "With his good looks, style, youth, liberal views and Catholic religion, Eagleton is the closest thing to a Kennedy Missouri has to offer".[41] In his 2006 farewell letter, Eagleton wrote: "In the era of a Christian right, we seem to have merged God's power into political power".[40]
Eagleton married Barbara Ann Smith Eagleton in 1956, and the couple had two children together, a son and a daughter. Eagleton was survived by his wife and their children.[39]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Attorney General of Missouri 1961–1965 | Succeeded by Norman H. Anderson |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Missouri 1965–1968 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee for Missouri Attorney General 1960 | Succeeded by Norman H. Anderson |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Missouri 1964 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Missouri (Class 3) 1968,1974,1980 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Response to the State of the Union address 1972 Served alongside:Carl Albert,Lloyd Bentsen,Hale Boggs,John Brademas,Frank Church,Martha Griffiths,John Melcher,Ralph Metcalfe,William Proxmire,Leonor Sullivan | Vacant Title next held by Mike Mansfield |
| Preceded by | Democraticnominee for Vice President of the United States Withdrew 1972 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by Edward V. Long | U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Missouri 1968–1987 Served alongside:Stuart Symington,John Danforth | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Governmental Affairs Committee 1981–1987 | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012 U.S. Senator from South Dakota (1963–1981) U.S. Representatives from South Dakota (1957–1961) | ||
| Political career |
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| Electoral history | ||
| Legacy | ||
| Other | ||
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