Edmund Muskie was a contemporary of Margaret Chase Smith, whose story is also told in this topic of Maine People.
Muskie was born on March 28, 1914 in the small community of Rumford, Maine. He was the second of six children born into a Polish family. After graduating from Stephens High School, he graduated cum laude from Bates College. (For anyone who is interested in learning more about this famous Mainer, Bates College has an extensive library of information and materials pertaining to the life of one of its significant graduates.)
After graduating from Bates College, Muskie attended Cornell University Law School. Following his graduation from Cornell, Muskie began practicing law in Waterville, Maine. He also enlisted in the US navy in 1942.
Muskie's career in politics began with his election to the Maine House of Representatives in 1946. He was reelected in 1948 and 1950. Muskie was a democrat, in a predominantly Republican state.
In 1954, Muskie was elected governor of Maine. Muskie was elected to the US Senate in 1958, then was reelected in 1964, 1970, and 1976. During his terms in the Senate, he served on the Foreign Relations, Governmental Affairs, and Environmental Committees. His experience with the Foreign Relations committee would later lead to the position of Secretary of State, under President Jimmy Carter.
In 1968, Muskie was the Democratic nominee for US Vice President, running with Hubert Humphrey. Muskie was one of the strong contenders for the democratic nomination for President in 1972 to run against incumbent Richard M. Nixon. However, Muskie lost the nomination to George McGovern.
This period in politics coincided with the Watergate scandal, in which President Nixon and his supporters were accused of using illegal wire taps at Democratic headquarters and also of using less than scrupulous means to sabotage the careers of those Nixon considered a threat. During the Watergate hearings in 1973, evidence suggested that Muskie was one of the victims of this corrupt behavior.
Following the scandal involving Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, President Jimmy Carter appointed Muskie to be the Secretary of State. Muskie held this position during the remaining year of Carter's term as president.
After completing his term as Secretary of State, Muskie went back to practicing law-this time in Washington, D.C. Muskie died on March 26, 1996, and services were held at the Bates Chapel.
Throughout his career, Muskie was true to his Maine roots and maintained his small town principles. He received more than thirty honorary degrees from universities throughout the country. He wrote his autobiography titled Journeys which was published in 1972.
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