Samuel James Ervin Jr. lived from September 27, 1896 to April 23, 1985 and was an American politician who served as a United States senator from North Carolina from 1954 to 1974. A Southern Democrat who liked to call himself a country lawyer, he was at first a staunch defender of Jim Crow laws and racial segregation as the South's constitutional expert during the congressional debates on civil rights, but later became a liberal hero for his support of civil liberties. He is remembered for his work on the investigation committees that brought down Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1954 and especially for leading the Senate committee's investigation of the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Facts
RoleUnited States Senator (North Carolina); constitutional lawyer, chairman of the Senate Watergate Committee 1 Nationality / JurisdictionUnited States; federal and North Carolina common law, U.S. constitutional law 1 BirthplaceMorganton, North Carolina, United States 1 Place of DeathWinston-Salem, North Carolina, United States 1 Classification
Field of Law Role
Role (category) Connections
In Legal System
Source Wikidata: Sam Ervin
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Sam Ervin (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section, first sentence
Samuel James Ervin Jr. (September 27, 1896-April 23, 1985) was an American politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina from 1954 to 1974.
Later life section
Ervin died in 1985 at a hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, from complications of emphysema.
Early life and education section
Ervin was born in Morganton, North Carolina, the son of Laura Theresa (Powe) and Samuel James Ervin.
Full article, field of law
He also famously sparred with Nixon chief domestic policy advisor John Ehrlichman about whether constitutional law allowed a President to sanction such actions as the White House Plumbers' break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex and their break-in at the office of the psychiatrist to Daniel Ellsberg, the former assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs who had leaked the Pentagon Papers.
View the Source Wikidata: Sam Ervin
Wikidata Q322911 self-citation (QID resolved for a previously unsourced jurist)
P31 (instance of): human; QID resolved and verified for this jurist (Sam Ervin)
- In Legal System: Law of the United States, Samuel James Ervin Jr. (September 27, 1896, April 23, 1985) was an American politician who served as a U.S. senator fro
View the SourceFrequently Asked Questions
What is Sam Ervin remembered for?
He led the Senate Watergate investigation.
He is remembered for his work on the investigation committees that brought down Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1954 and especially for leading the Senate committee's investigation of the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Did Sam Ervin's views on civil rights change?
He moved from defending segregation to supporting civil liberties.
A Southern Democrat who liked to call himself a country lawyer, he was at first a staunch defender of Jim Crow laws and racial segregation as the South's constitutional expert during the congressional debates on civil rights, but later became a liberal hero for his support of civil liberties.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.