Sam Ervin

Sam Ervin (1896-1985) was an American politician best known for his role in the Watergate investigation and his expertise on the United States Constitution. He was a member of the Democratic Party and served in the Senate from 1954 to 1974, representing the state of North Carolina. Prior to his Senate career, he was an associate justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1948 to 1954.

During the infamous Watergate scandal, in which President Richard Nixon conducted illegal secret break-in into the Democratic campaign headquarters in the Watergate Hotel, Ervin chaired the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities (later known as Watergate Committee). He presided over numerous hearings and investigations, and the committee's work ultimately led to Nixon's resignation from presidency.

Ervin was an expert on matters regarding to the U.S. Constitution and was a strict constructionist on constitutional interpretation. He defended free speech, separation of church and state, and civil liberties, and opposed governmental intrusion of privacy such as "no-knock" searches. As a Southerner, Ervin opposed Civil Rights legislations and the Equal Rights Amendment. During his Senate years, he was once the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights and held hearings on U.S. Army spying on civilians.

Sources

• Congressional Biographical Directory
• U.S. Senate featured biography
• Biography of Sam Ervin
• Watergate files: Sam Ervin
• CIFA: Pentagon’s COINTELPRO
• Watergate info

Further reading

• The Whole Truth: Watergate by Sam Ervin, ISBN 0394480295
• Just a Country Lawyer: A Biography of Senator Sam Ervin by Paul R. Clancy, ISBN 0253145406