Vice Presidents in the 1960s

Richard Nixon was a vice president who became president.

In 1789, John Adams became the first vice president of the United States. The vice president serves as an aide to the president and functions as the president of the Senate. The years 1960 to 1969 saw four vice presidents: Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert Humphrey and Spiro Agnew.

Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon served as the 36th vice president of the United States. He served under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from January 20, 1953, until January 20, 1961. Nixon made the office of vice president more visible by engaging in international activities such as completing tours in foreign countries to gather support for American policies. Nixon aided President Eisenhower during events, such as the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Red Scare. Nixon ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign against President John F. Kennedy in 1960. He spent the next few years practicing law until he was elected president in 1968. He served from January 20, 1969, to August 9, 1974, when he resigned from office amid the Watergate scandal.

Lyndon B. Johnson

As the 37th vice president of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson served under President John F. Kennedy until Kennedy's assassination. Johnson served as vice president from January 20, 1961, to November 22, 1963, at which point he was sworn in as president. Johnson helped President Kennedy in events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. As president, Johnson began The Great Society, a program designed to fix social problems. (Reference 2)

Hubert Humphrey

Hubert Humphrey served the United States as the 38th vice president. Humphrey rose to political popularity in 1948, when he made a rousing speech for civil rights at the Democratic National Convention. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson sought Humphrey to run as vice president. Johnson and Humphrey won the election of 1964 by obtaining 90.3 percent of the country's electoral votes. Humphrey ran an unsuccessful race against Richard Nixon for president in 1968.

Spiro Agnew

The 39th vice president of the United States was Spiro Agnew. He served under President Nixon from January 20, 1969, and resigned on October 10, 1973. He previously served as governor of Maryland until he resigned on January 7, 1969. During his vice presidency, Agnew was charged with accepting bribes and creating false federal tax returns. He pleaded no contest to the latter charge, then resigned from office.

References

• The White House: Richard Nixon
• The White House: Lyndon B. Johnson
• Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum: Hubert Humphrey
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: Spiro Agnew
• Richard Nixon Archives
• The American Presidency Project: 1964 Presidential Election