Sen. Thomas Eagleton (1929-2007)

Former Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton has died in St. Louis at the age of 77.

Eagleton is perhaps most well-known for being George McGovern's original running mate in the 1972 Presidential Election. He was forced to drop off the ticket after the Democratic National Convention because news broke that he had suffered from extreme depression that had, at one time, required him to receive electro-shock therapy.

Eagleton was born in 1929 in St. Louis, Missouri. He won his first election at the age of 26 as circuit attorney in St. Louis and in 1960 at the age of 31 was elected Missouri Attorney General, he later served as Lieutenant Governor and was elected to the United State Senate in 1968 narrowly defeating Republican Tom Curtis 51%-49% largely due to his opposition to the Vietnam War.

Senator Eagleton was chosen by Senator George McGovern to be his running mate after other anti-war Senators (Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, Walter Mondale of Minnesota, and Birch Bayh of Indiana) turned down the job. Eagleton was forced to withdraw due to questions about his mental state and was replaced by Sergeant Shriver, brother-in-law of President Kennedy and father-in-law of current California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Senator Eagleton did win reelection to the US Senate twice more, in 1974 and 1980. In his time in the Senate, he was instrumental in ending the Vietnam War and in the passage of the Clean Water Act and Clear Air Act. He retired in 1986.

His last public appearances were last year, rallying Missouri Democrats in support of Claire McCaskill's Senate campaign. McCaskill defeated incumbent Republican Jim Talent 50%-47%.