Eagleton, Thomas Francis (1929-2007), became the only person ever nominated by a national convention for vice president of the United States who resigned a candidacy. In 1972, the Democratic National Convention chose Eagleton, a United States senator from Missouri, as the running mate of Senator George S. McGovern of South Dakota. Twelve days later, Eagleton revealed that he had been hospitalized three times between 1960 and 1966 for treatment of emotional exhaustion and depression.
Eagleton’s revelation touched off a nationwide controversy over his qualifications for the vice presidency. Many people supported his candidacy. But a number of Democratic Party leaders and several influential newspapers questioned Eagleton’s ability to handle, if necessary, the pressures of the presidency. McGovern said he feared that the dispute was distracting the public from what he considered the key issues of the election. Eagleton resigned at McGovern’s request. He was replaced by Sargent Shriver, a former director of the Peace Corps.
Eagleton was born on Sept. 4, 1929, in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Amherst College in 1950 and Harvard Law School in 1953. Eagleton was elected circuit attorney of St. Louis in 1956, attorney general of Missouri in 1960, and lieutenant governor in 1964. He served in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1987. Eagleton died on March 4, 2007.
