It is unfortunate that candidate Sarah Palin’s pre-veep job experience profile most matches that of Spiro Agnew, Richard’s Nixon’s first vice president.
Ironically, one of the fastest rises in U. S. political history was someone who went from county executive to vice president in six years, serving in between as Maryland governor. That was Spiro Agnew, the only vice president in U. S. history to resign because of criminal charges.
Most Vice Presidents Had Lengthy Washington Experience
The majority of recent vice presidents have had extensive service in Washington, most as multi-term legislators, and others holding either cabinet posts or top advisory jobs in the executive branch of the government.
Not only did most have former political service in the nation’s capital, many—such as Al Gore, Dan Quayle, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Alben Barkley and Charles Curtis—served multiple terms in both the House and in the Senate. Indeed, some of them had served as U. S. legislators for more than 20 years.
Other Washington Governmental Experience
Of those who didn’t serve in both houses, Cheney was a representative for six terms, Gerald Ford for 13 terms and John Garner for 15 terms. Walter Mondale and Hubert Humphrey had several Senate terms. George Herbert Walker Bush and James Sherman were also House members and Harry Truman and Charles Fairbanks were Senate members.
Dick Cheney and Henry Wallace had cabinet posts before becoming vice president. The elder Bush had been CIA director and Ambassador to the United Nations. Nelson Rockefeller had been on the National Security Council and was Assistant Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. Charles Dawes was Comptroller of the Currency and first director of the Bureau of the Budget. Teddy Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
Only Three with No Washington Experience
Calvin Coolidge went from Massachusetts governor to the vice presidency and Thomas Marshall was governor of Indiana before becoming vice president. That gave them—and Spiro Agnew—the least Washington experience.
A much earlier vice president, Aaron Burr, was indicted for murder after mortally wounding Alexander Hamilton in an 1804 duel. He finished out his nearly ended term and was never prosecuted.
Mark Hatfield, longtime Senator from Oregon, called the vice presidency “the least understood, most ridiculed, and most often ignored constitutional office in the federal government” in his 1997 book on U. S. vice presidents.
Breckinridge: America’s Youngest Vice President
He notes that one vice president joined the Confederate army and led an invasion of Washington. That would be John Breckinridge. He was the youngest vice president in U.S. history, elected at age 35, the minimum age required under the U.S. Constitution. His term ended just before the American Civil War.
Since 1945, five out of the 13 vice presidents have become presidents. Two of them (Nixon and Bush) ran for the office. Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson took over the reins of the presidency upon the death of the president they served. Gerald Ford replaced a president who resigned.
A companion article gives criteria for selecting effective leaders.
SOURCES: Vice Presidents of the United States by Mark O. Hatfield, U. S. Government Printing Office (1997: Washington); Wikipedia biographies, Congressional Biographical Directory; S9.com Biographical Dictionary.
