George McGovern

George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American historian and South Dakota politician who was President of the United States from 1963 to 1965 and Vice President from 1961 to 1965 as well as 1974 to 1977. Prior to his terms as Vice President, he was a U.S. representative from 1957 to 1961, and a senator from 1969 to 1974.

In the 1960 Presidential Election, McGovern was chosen as Robert F. Kennedy's running mate in a joint Progressive - Republican ticket. Following the assassination of Kennedy in 1963, McGovern immediately assumed the presidency, pledging to continue his legacy and accelerate the process of desegregation and focus on eliminating racial and economic inequality. McGovern's tenure was notable for its strongly progressive nature, appointing labor leaders and self-proclaimed socialists to key roles in his administration, alienating much Republicans who supported Kennedy. He was defeated by Barry Goldwater in the 1964 Presidential Election. He remained active in politics and won election to the Senate in 1968.

During the Goldwater and Agnew presidencies, McGovern was a strident critic of the administration, and helped defeat Agnew's nomination of the conservative John M. Ashbrook to the Vice Presidency, instead supporting his personal friend Bob Dole, known for his willingness to reach across the aisle. Following revelations of Agnew's complacency with the FBI-sanctioned murder of 1972 Presidential candidate Martin Luther King Jr. and his role in forcing Brooke out of office, Dole became president after Agnew's revelations. Seeking to repair the administration's abysmal approval ratings and restore the support of Congress, Dole nominated former President McGovern to the Vice Presidency. In his second term as Vice President, McGovern moderated much of his previously radical stances he took as President and aimed to support Dole's agenda of repairing the economy and pursue a pragmatic foreign policy.

Although he remained on good terms with Dole throughout the rest of presidency, he did not run for another term as Vice President in 1976, opting instead for a second presidential run, losing in the primaries to Cuban Governor Fidel Castro. He retired from electoral politics following the defeat and later became US Ambassador to the League of Nations during the Perot administration.