A tidbit is a small and particularly interesting item of gossip or information.
Spiro T. Agnew
Spiro Agnew was the first Greek American to be vice president and governor of Maryland.
He attended Johns Hopkins University where he studied chemistry.
Spiro Agnew was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941.
Before he left for overseas assignment he married Elinor Judefind on May 27, 1942. They had four children together.
After WW II, he began studying law and passed the Maryland Bar Exam in 1949.
During the Korean War, Spiro Agnew was recalled to Army service and spent another year with the Army.
In 1973, Spiro Agnew was forced to resign as Vice President during President Nixon's administration.
He was originally a Democrat, but switched to the Republican Party.
Spiro was appointed Baltimore County Executive. As Executive he signed an ordinance outlawing discrimination in some public accommodations, among the first laws of this kind in the United States.
In 1966 ran for Governor of Maryland. As governor he worked on anti pollution and open housing laws.
Nixon choose Agnew as his running mate after only talking to him a few times. Nixon choose him, because he thought Agnew would get votes from the southern states.
Agnew was sometimes referred to as Nixon "hatchet man." He gave speeches criticising the press and war protesters. Agnew talked about himself as being part of the "silent majority."
Nixon did want Agnew as Vice President for the 1972 election. He wanted the Governor of Texas, John Connally as a running mate. He kept Agnew because of his large conservative following.
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In 1973, Agnew was charged with taking kickbacks (monetary payments) for contracts in Baltimore. After negotiations with federal prosecutors Agnew agreed to resign from office and plead no contest to the charges.
Agnew was the second vice president to resign. John C. Calhoun resigned to take a seat in the Senate.
He was convicted of income tax evasion. He received three years probation and had to pay $10,000 in fines. Agnew was also disbarred. His portrait was removed from the Maryland State House.
Under public pressure Agnew later repaid $268,482. That was the amount he had received in illegal bribes.
Gerald Ford replaced Spiro Agnew as Vice President.
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