Voting Station

Sam Ervin

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U.S. Senator

The Resume

    (September 27, 1896-April 23, 1985)
    Born in Morgantown, North Carolina
    Representative from North Carolina (1945-1947)
    Served on the State Supreme Court (1948-1954)
    US Senator from North Carolina (1954-1974)
    Democrat
    Chaired the Senate Watergate Committee

Why he might be annoying:

    He signed the Southern Manifesto protesting school desegregation (1956).
    He opposed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act.
    He said Americans were entitled to 'their prejudices as well as their allergies.'
    He opposed the Equal Right Amendment.
    He opposed lowering the voting age to 18.
    He liked to refer to himself as 'just an ol' country lawyer.' (A country lawyer who graduated from Harvard Law School.)
    At the height of his Watergate fame, he released an album, 'Senator Sam at Home.' (1973)

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was married to his wife Margaret for 61 years until his death.
    During World War I, he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star and two purple hearts.
    As a State Senator he led the effort to defeat a bill that would outlaw the teaching of evolution.
    Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield named him to head the Watergate Committee because, 'Sam is the only man we could have selected on either side who would have the respect of the Senate as a whole.'
    When Nixon tried to prevent his aides from appearing before the Committee, he responded, 'Divine Right went out with the American Revolution and doesn't belong to White House aides.'
    He said that his one regret about the Watergate hearings is that Congress did not do more to reduce the president's executive privilege.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 21 Votes: 47.62% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 44 Votes: 59.09% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 32 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 29 Votes: 55.17% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 17 Votes: 52.94% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 33 Votes: 51.52% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 48 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 36 Votes: 41.67% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 44 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 78 Votes: 70.51% Annoying