Shot of the Day # 43 – Spiro Agnew’s Official Portrait

Official portrait of Former Baltimore County Executive Spiro T. Agnew

Baltimore County Courthouse, Towson, MD (Credit: Fronda Cohen)

For the first time, the ‘Shot of the Day’ will not be one of my pictures but one submitted in response to my wildly popular and inspirational Dead Vice Presidents Crusade.

Last year began with the presentation of the last resting place of Vice President # 39, Maryland’s own Spiro T. Extortionist. Being the duly-elected Baltimore County Executive, an official portrait was made as it was for every other person in that position.

Appreciating my interest in dead vice presidents, a friend wanted me to know of her personal connection to the guy. Her office was in the Baltimore County Courthouse, the seat of county government and the place where, as County Executive, then Mr. ‘Next-in-Line-for-the-Oval-Office’ began his career of bribe-taking.

(That’s not exactly true. Knowing that the current “new” courthouse was completed in 1970, when the then-vice president was accepting his envelopes in Washington, I can’t accurately say he walked these very halls. But this is the current seat of County government and there are many floors and corridors where one might find official portraits.)

Even more interesting is the fact that the current County Charter and the Executive position date to 1956. One suspects that there are many more suitable locations in the big building than right next to a lavatory. I’m guessing putting it in the men’s room might have been perceived as tacky.

Thank you, Fronda, for providing a fitting post script for that story.