Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) served as the 39th vice president of the United States from 1969 until his resignation in 1973, becoming only the second vice president in history to step down from the role, following John C. Calhoun in 1832.
Born in Baltimore to a Greek immigrant father and an American mother, Agnew pursued his education at Johns Hopkins University before earning a law degree from the University of Baltimore. His political career began in the 1950s as a campaign aide for U.S. Representative James Devereux, leading to his appointment to the Baltimore County Board of Zoning Appeals in 1957. Agnew was elected Baltimore County Executive in 1962 and went on to become the governor of Maryland in 1966, triumphing over Democratic candidate George P. Mahoney and independent Hyman A. Pressman.
At the 1968 Republican National Convention, Agnew was nominated as Richard Nixon's running mate, thanks to his centrist image and a strong law-and-order stance during a tumultuous year. His rhetoric resonated with many Republicans, contributing significantly to their success in the election against the Democratic ticket of Hubert Humphrey and Edmund Muskie, as well as third-party candidates George Wallace and Curtis LeMay. During his vice presidency, Agnew often defended the administration against its critics and shifted further right to align with conservative constituents. In 1972, he and Nixon secured a second term in one of the most decisive victories in U.S. electoral history, defeating Senator George McGovern and Sargent Shriver.
