April 23, 1985:
Former Sen. Sam Ervin (D-NC), who chaired the Senate Watergate Committee in the spring of 1973 and became a national figure in the process, dies of respiratory failure. He was 88.
Ervin started off his career as a strong opponent of civil rights legislation, but his stewardship of the committee during the nationally televised hearings made him a folk hero among many Democrats. He was perhaps best known for his arching eyebrows and "aw shucks" country manner.
First elected to the Senate in 1954, he did not seek re-election in 1974.
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