Samuel James Ervin, Jr. - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Senator Sam as he was known to his know to his constituents in Western North Carolina, was first appointed to the United States Senate in 1954 to fill the seat of Senator Clyde Hoey, who died in office. Senator Ervin’s achieved national fame in 1973 when he was appointed Chairman of the Senate Select Committee to Investigate Campaign Practices, which became known as “The Watergate Committee.”

The Watergate Committee was a special committee convened to investigate the break-in of the office of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C. The investigation revealed that the purposed of the break-in was to wiretap the Democratic Headquarters and was authorized by the Committee to Re-elect the President and involved some of the closest advisors of then President Richard Nixon.

The Senate Watergate Committee played a pivotal role in gathering evidence that would lead to the indictment of forty administration officials and the conviction of several of Nixon's aides for obstruction of justice and other crimes. Its revelations prompted the introduction of articles of impeachment against the President in the House of Representatives, which led to Nixon's resignation.

After retiring from the Senate in 1974, Senator Ervin returned to Morganton, North Carolina, where he practiced law and wrote several books. Senator Ervin died on April 23, 1985 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Morganton, North Carolina.

Description: Samuel James Ervin Jr. was born on September 27, 1896 in Morganton, North Carolina. Ervin served in World War I, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1917 and from the Harvard Law School in 1922. Ervin served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1922-1930 and a a state judge during the 1930’s and 1940’s. He brother Joseph was a member of the United States House of Representatives and in 1945 he died in officeand Sam was appointed to fill the remainder of his term, but did not seek re-election. Ervin was serving as an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court when he was appointed in June 1954 by the governor to fill the U.S. Senate seat of Clyde Hoey, who had died in office. He ran successfully for the seat in November 1954. For the next 20-year Sam Ervin represented the citizens of Western North Carolina in the Senate. It was toward the end of his Senate career that he rose to national promanence as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee to Investigate Campaign Practices, which became known as “The Watergate Committee.” The Watergate Committee was a special committee convened to investigate the break-in of the office of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C. The investigation revealed that the purposed of the break-in was to wiretap the Democratic Headquarters and was authorized by the Committee to Re-elect the President and involved some of the closest advisors of then President Richard Nixon. The Senate Watergate Committee played a pivotal role in gathering evidence that would lead to the indictment of forty administration officials and the conviction of several of Nixon's aides for obstruction of justice and other crimes. Its revelations prompted the introduction of articles of impeachment against the President in the House of Representatives, which led to Nixon's resignation. The members of the Senate Watergate Committee were: Senator Ervin (chairman), Senator Howard Baker (R-Tennessee), Senator Edward Gurney (R-Florida), Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Senator Joseph Montoya (D-New Mexico), Senator Herman Talmadge (D-Georgia) and Senator Lowell Wiicker, Jr. (R-Connecticut). The committee had two chief councels, Sam Dash and Fred Thompson, who was later elected to the United States Senate from Tennessee. After retiring from the Senate in 1974, Senator Ervin returned to Morganton, North Carolina, where he practiced law and wrote several books. Senator Ervin died on April 23, 1985 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Morganton, North Carolina. Date of birth: 09/27/1896 Date of death: 04/23/1985 Area of notoriety: Politics Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Dawn to Dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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