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Sam Ervin: A Featured Biography
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Senator Sam Ervin (Senate Historical Office)
During his twenty years in the Senate, Sam Ervin of North Carolina was considered by his colleagues to be one of the Senate's foremost experts on the Constitution. Well liked by his constituents for his folksy manner, Ervin frequently quoted Shakespeare and the Bible, and often referred to himself as "just an ol' country lawyer." When news of the Watergate scandal broke in 1973, Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield chose Ervin to head the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, which became known as the "Watergate Committee." As chairman of the televised Watergate hearings, Sam Ervin became a nationally-known figure who played a pivotal role in events leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
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