Page 146 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023 LISBON EDITION

To say the Ervin Museum, a handsome display to the corridors of power on Capitol Hill in
of the Democratic senator's long career and his Washington, D.C.
role as chairman of the Sentate's Watergate Pictures were everywhere, as were pens Ervin
committee, is a major attraction would be a lie. kept that had been used to sign bills into law.
It draws few visitors, which is a shame, for it There were invitations to presidential inaugura-
brings to life in well-designed space a pivotal pe- tions and other mementos of a Senate career
riod in American history as well as some sur- that lasted from 1954 to 1974. Hanging on the
prises. wall was a collection of cartoons about Water-
Visitors might first wonder if they're lost, as gate, many of which were signed by the cartoon-
they navigate themselves ists and had been
through the student li- presented to Ervin.
brary bookshelves and There's also the humor-
look for a librarian. Off to ous side of Watergate –
one side is a large wooden board games, T-shirts and
desk and comfortable even a rare chess set with
leather chair, seemingly figures.
out of place. This was the In another room the li-
desk from Ervin's Senate brary from Ervin's Mor-
office, placed in front of ganton home has been
the entrance to the small faithfully rebuilt, includ-
museum. “Go ahead, have ing furnishings and book
a seat,” I was told and I shelves, where the titles
soon found myself leaning remain placed as they
back in the chair and pick- were when he was alive.
ing up the vintage tele- (Ervin died in 1985 at age
phone to say, “Tell Nixon 88 and is buried in Mor-
we need those tapes!” ganton).
My wife and I then were It was 50 years ago, on
led into the Ervin rooms May 17, 1973, at 10:02
by the head librarian of a.m. that Ervin, then 76,
the student library. Just wielded the famous gavel
sign in, no tickets needed. and called the Select
As we poked around, our Committtee on Presiden-
guide offered a quick re- tial Campaign Activities,
fresher course on the better known as the Wa-
who's who of Watergate, tergate Committee, to or-
particularly the key con- der. For weeks the nation
gressmen involved, including Ervin's Republican was transfixed by gavel to gavel TV coverage of
co-chair, Sen. Howard Baker of Tennessee. That the testimony and by Ervin's adept and witty
was a needed reminder of a bipartisan alliance leadership that guided the four Democrats and
that seems all but impossible today. three Republican senators.
The gavel, with its colorful braided handle, had The Senate established the bipartisan commit-
been a gift by a band of Cherokee Indians to a tee in the wake of the break-in at the Democrat-
man who fancied himself as being just a simple ice National Headquarters in June 1972. The
country lawyer, but who became a towering fig- burglars had been rounded up and charged, but
ure during a long political career that took him something wasn't right – federal judge John J.
from the North Carolina statehouse to the Sirica felt that there was more to the story than
bench of that state's supreme court--and finally

146 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023