Sold – The Personal Side of Spiro Agnew in an Archive of His Letters

In 1973, Vice President Agnew’s son was married in a traditional Greek ceremony by priest Emmanuel Bouyoucas. Hearing that Bouyoucas’s mother was in the hospital, he took time from his schedule to call Mrs. Bouyoucas to wish her well. This had a deep impact on the elderly woman’s teenage granddaughter, who wrote Agnew. He responded, thus commencing a correspondence that would last the rest of his life and include ten letters from him plus a number from secretaries writing for him, and a number of signed greeting cards. Agnew’s public image is that of a divisive politician who was forced to resign for improprieties. This correspondence to Miss Bouyoucas shows an entirely different and very personal side of the man, revealing him as reflective and considerate.

The first letter is on Vice President’s letterhead, Washington, May 29, 1973, before allegations against him were public. “I am glad to know that my call made your grandmother feel better…She is fortunate to have such a loving granddaughter as you. You must make every day a better one for her, and your love and care are gifts more valuable than any other.” The second letter, in the wake of his resignation and signed with an autopen, stated “I can only reaffirm my innocence to you and hope, in this complex and confusing situation, that you will try to understand that I believe the actions I have taken are in the best interest of the nation.” In a letter on April 17, 1974, Agnew tells Bouyoucas he is leaving Washington and moving to Annapolis, and encourages her to travel in Europe “while you’re still young enough to enjoy every minute.” The next day he sent a “Happy Travelling” card. Soon Agnew formed a company called Pathlite, Inc. whose purpose was to expedite and promote international trade, and henceforth his letters up to 1980 were on that company’s letterhead. The next three gave fatherly advice and encouragement. In 1975 Miss Bouyoucas graduated from high school and received a graduation card accompanied by the present of a small bracelet with the vice presidential insignia. Both the card and the bracelet remain in this collection.

After a ten year hiatus, on March 20, 1990, Agnew wrote, “Of course I remember you…You always wrote such supportive and thoughtful letters, and I was impressed by your ability to express yourself – a gift that too few young people seem to have these days. Perhaps it is the impact of television that cuts down on reverence for the power of the written word…” He turned to the question of her husband not being Greek, saying “My son married a Greek girl. They are now divorced. It doesn’t always work as well as the old folks claim.” In a particularly significant letter on March 11, 1992, the man who gained fame by practicing confrontational politics through the media reflects and seems disillusioned with the results. “I am glad that you are doing so well, both in your career and marriage. So often these days, couples seem to find it hard to maintain a successful relationship when both are working…The political scene today is sorrowful. The media dictate the level of discussion, and the campaigns are not informative. There is too much back-biting and too many vacuous photo opportunities. The electorate must be confused by the simplistic tax the rich and give to the poor approach of most candidates…”

Writing on May 28, 1996, the elder statesman reminisces. “Judy and I celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary yesterday. It seems impossible that it has been that long since a raw second lieutenant, infantry and a girl not long out of high school tied the knot. The years have flown by, some with turmoil but more with great happiness…” The letter ends with his comment on public speaking: “Public appearances are intimidating at first, but one gets used to them, and confidence builds with each engagement.” His last letter was written on August 14, 1996 and it shows him recalling his father and indicates he is working alone in an office. “…at my age there are a lot of people and places that escape me. The party sounds like it was a typically ebullient Greek occasion. How well I remember my father’s love of such affairs. I hope you will excuse me if I do not reply to all of your letters. I am so terribly busy and my correspondence load is heavy for a one person office.” In a month Agnew would be dead. The final item in the group is a printed card reading “The family of Spiro T. Agnew, beloved husband and father, thanks you for your expression of condolence at the time of his passing, September 17, 1996.” All in all, the most revealing group of Agnew letters we have handled.