Sam Ervin Senator

Samuel James "Sam" Ervin, Jr. (September 27, 1896 – April 23, 1985) was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina from 1954 to 1974. A native of Morganton, he liked to call himself a "country lawyer", and often told humorous stories in his Southern drawl. During his Senate career, Ervin was a legal defender of the Jim Crow laws and racial segregation, as the South's constitutional expert during the congressional debates on civil rights. Unexpectedly, he became a liberal hero for his support of civil liberties. He is remembered for his work in the investigation committees that brought down Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1954 and especially his investigation in 1972 and 1973 of the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation in 1974 of President Richard Nixon.

Personal facts

Birth date	September 27, 1896
Birth place	North Carolina , Morganton North Carolina
Nationality	United States
Religion	Presbyterianism
Date of death	April 23, 1985
Place of death	Winston-Salem North Carolina
Education	Harvard Law School University of North Carolina