Senate Watergate hearings
materials donated to library
A complete set of the hearings before the conduct of elections. Such a body, given subSelect Committee on Presidential Campaign stantial investigatory and enforcement powActivities of 1972 (The Senate Watergate ers, could not only help to ensure that misCommittee hearings), including the three- conduct would be prevented in the future, but
part draft of the final report, as well as the that investigations of alleged wrong-doing
committee's final report, has been donated by would be vigorous and conducted with the
Gordon M. Thomas to the Senator Sam J. confidence of the public."
Ervin Jr. Library at Western Piedmont Ervin also wrote in the committee's final
Community College.
report, "One shudders to think that the
Senator Sam Ervin was a life-long resident Watergate conspiracies might have been efof Morganton who represented North fectively concealed and their most dramatic
Carolina in the United States Senate from episode might have been dismissed as a
1954 to 1974 and died in 1985. He was consid- 'third-rate' burglary conceived and commitered the Senate's leading constitutional ted solely by the seven original Watergate descholar.
fendants had it not been for the courage and
Ervin chaired the Senate select committee penetrating understanding of Judge Sirica,
that held hearings in 1973 and 1974 on the the thoroughness of the investigative reportWatergate scandal's impact on the 1972 pres- ing of Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward, and
idential election.
other representatives of a free press, the
In 1973, the Watergate hearings disclosed labors of the Senate Select Committee and its
the^existerice of a White House audio record- fexcellent staff, and the dedication and diliing system that had taped high-level conver- . gence of Special P-rosecutors Archibald Cox
sations relating to the cover-up^.xif the and Leon Jawprski and their associates." '
Watergate scandal.
Winston R. Lear, executive director of the
Subsequent developments led to the initia- Ervin Library, accepted the donation of the
tion of impeachment proceedings in the Watergate hearings, draft of the final report
United States House of Representatives and the final report. Thomas made the donaagainst President Richard M. Nixon on tion on Aug. 9, the 30th anniversary of
charges of violating federal law.
Nixon's resignation.
The 1974 release of transcripts of some of Thomas said, "I collected this 34-volume set
the White House tapes, by unanimous order during a critical time hi our nation's history
of the United States Supreme Court, resulted and I believe that the Ervin Library in
in President Nixon's resignation from office Morganton is a very appropriate location for
on Aug. 9,1974, over an obstruction of justice them so that scholars and researchers can
charge.
make good use of their contents. Senator
The Senate investigation also led to the lat- Ervin, who often referred to himself as 'just
er enactment of numerous reforms hi the fed- an old country lawyer,' even though he was a
eral campaign finance laws.
graduate of Harvard Law School and a noted
Watergate became synonymous with the jurist in the North Carolina state courts, conbreak-in at the Democratic National ducted the Watergate hearings with a deeply
Committee Headquarters, and the failed cov- held love for and historical perspective on the
er-up, yet Watergate should also be remem- essential role of the Constitution in our elecbered as a chronicle of political campaign fi- tions and our government.
nance abuse.
"During the Watergate investigation, he ofThe committee's final report made recom- ten used his down-home humor, wit and wismendations aimed at repairing the integrity dom to make very relevant observations and
of the electoral process. Many recommenda- he was widely credited with having a steady,
tions were generally designed to prevent the bipartisan hand on the Senate investigation,
abuse of government power, though a signif- which had historic results."
icant number advocated campaign finance Thomas, a former resident of Pilot
reform.
Mountain, presently resides in Arlington,
Ervin commented, "Probably the most sig- Va. He is executive director of government
nificant reform that could emerge from the affairs for Textron, Inc. hi Washington, D.C.
Watergate scandal is the creation of an hide- He was staff assistant to Senator Ervin durpendent, non-partisan agency to supervise ing the Watergate investigation in 1973 and
the enforcement of the laws relating to the 1974.
LOCAL
News Herald
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2004
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED | WESTERN PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Winston R. Lear, executive director of the Ervin Library, left, and Gordon M. Thomas,
executive director of government affairs for Textron, Inc. in Washington, DC. Thomas
was staff assistant to Senator Ervin during the Watergate investigation in 1973 and