Edmund Sixtus Muskie (March 28, 1914March 26, 1996) was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 58th
United States Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State.
The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the ...
under President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
from 1980 to 1981, a
United States Senator from Maine from 1959 to 1980, the 64th
governor of Maine
The governor of Maine is the head of government of the U.S. state of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive.
The current governor of Maine is J ...
from 1955 to 1959, and a member of the
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via ...
from 1946 to 1951. He was the
Democratic Party's nominee for vice president in the
1968 presidential election.
Born in
Rumford, Maine, he worked as a lawyer for two years before serving in the
United States Naval Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...
from 1942 to 1945 during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Upon his return, Muskie served in the
Maine State Legislature
The Maine State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate. The legislature convenes at the State House in ...
from 1946 to 1951, and unsuccessfully ran for mayor of
Waterville. Muskie was elected the
64th governor of Maine in 1954 under a reform platform as the first
Democratic governor since
Louis J. Brann left office in 1937, and only the fifth since 1857. Muskie pressed for economic expansionism and instated environmental provisions. Muskie's actions severed a nearly
100-year Republican stronghold and led to the political insurgency of the Maine Democrats.
Muskie's legislative work during
his career as a senator coincided with an expansion of
modern liberalism in the United States
Modern liberalism, often referred to simply as liberalism, is the dominant version of liberalism in the United States. It combines ideas of civil liberty and Social equality, equality with support for social justice and a mixed economy. Modern l ...
. He promoted the
1960s environmental movement which led to the passage of the
Clean Air Act of 1970 and the
Clean Water Act of 1972. Muskie supported the
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...
, the creation of
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., and often referred to shorthand as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the third Monday of January each year. King was the chief spokespers ...
, and opposed
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
's "
Imperial presidency" by advancing
New Federalism. Muskie ran with Vice President
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American politician who served from 1965 to 1969 as the 38th vice president of the United States. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Minnesota from 19 ...
against Nixon in the 1968 presidential election, losing the popular vote by 0.7 percentage point—one of the
narrowest margins in U.S. history. He would go on to run in the
1972 presidential election, where he secured 1.84 million votes in
the primaries, coming in fourth out of 15 contesters. The release of the forged "
Canuck letter" derailed his campaign and sullied his public image with
Americans of French-Canadian descent.
After the election, Muskie returned to the Senate, where he gave the 1976
State of the Union Response. Muskie served as first chairman of the new
Senate Budget Committee
The United States Senate Committee on the Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal ...
from 1975 to 1980, where he established the
United States budget process
The United States budget process is the framework used by Congress and the President of the United States to formulate and create the United States federal budget. The process was established by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, the Congre ...
. Upon his resignation from the Senate, he became the 58th U.S. Secretary of State under President Carter. Muskie's tenure as Secretary of State was one of the shortest in modern history. His department negotiated the
release of 52 Americans, thus concluding the
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis () began on November 4, 1979, when 66 Americans, including diplomats and other civilian personnel, were taken hostage at the Embassy of the United States in Tehran, with 52 of them being held until January 20, 1981. Th ...
. He was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...
by Carter in 1981 and has been honored with
a public holiday in Maine since 1987.
Early life and education
Edmund Sixtus Muskie was born on March 28, 1914, to Polish parents in
Rumford, Maine.
He was born after his parents' first child, Irene (born 1912), and before his brother Eugene (born 1918) and three sisters, Lucy (born 1916), Elizabeth (born 1923), and Frances (born 1921).
[Witherell (2014), p. 4] His father, Stephen Marciszewski, was born and raised in
Jasionówka,
Russian Poland
Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish people, Polish State (polity), state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of ...
[ampoleagle.com/ann-mikoll-a-trailblazer-p10493-226.htm "Stephen Marciszewski, came to Buffalo in the early 1900s after leaving his birthplace in Jasionewka, Poland. That part of Poland was occupied by Russia, and Stephen's father sent him away so that he wouldn't be conscripted into the Russian Army."] and worked as an estate manager for minor
Russian nobility
The Russian nobility or ''dvoryanstvo'' () arose in the Middle Ages. In 1914, it consisted of approximately 1,900,000 members, out of a total population of 138,200,000. Up until the February Revolution of 1917, the Russian noble estates staffed ...
. He immigrated to America in 1903 and changed his name to Muskie from "Marciszewski" in 1914.
[David (1970), p. 10] He worked as a
master tailor and Muskie's mother, Josephine (
née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Czarnecka) worked as a
housewife
A housewife (also known as a homemaker or a stay-at-home mother/mom/mum) is a woman whose role is running or managing her family's home—housekeeping, which may include Parenting, caring for her children; cleaning and maintaining the home; Sew ...
. She was born to a
Polish-American
Polish Americans () are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 8.81 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.67% of the U.S. population, ...
family in
Buffalo, New York. Muskie's parents married in 1911, and Josephine moved to Rumford soon after.
Muskie's first language was
Polish; he spoke it as his only language until age 4. He began learning English soon after and eventually lost fluency in his mother language. In his youth he was an avid fisherman, hunter, and swimmer.
He felt as though his given name was "odd" so he went by Ed throughout his life. Muskie was shy and anxious in his early life but maintained a sizable number of friends.
Muskie attended Stephens High School, where he played baseball, participated in the performing arts, and was elected student body president in his senior year. He would go on to graduate in 1932 at the top of his class as
valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title for the class rank, highest-performing student of a graduation, graduating class of an academic institution in the United States.
The valedictorian is generally determined by an academic institution's grade poin ...
.
A 1931 edition of the school's newspaper noted him with the following: "when you see a head and shoulders towering over you in the halls of Stephen's, you should know that your eyes are feasting on the future President of the United States."
Influenced by the political excitement of
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
's election to the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
, he attended
Bates College
Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
in
Lewiston, Maine.
While at college, Muskie was a successful member of the
debating
Debate is a process that involves formal discourse, discussion, and oral addresses on a particular topic or collection of topics, often with a moderator and an audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historica ...
team, participated in several sports, and was elected to
student government
A students' union or student union, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organizatio ...
.
Although he received a small scholarship and
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...
subsidies, he had to work during the summers as a dishwasher and
bellhop
A bellhop (North America), or hotel porter (international), is a hotel employee who helps patrons with their luggage while checking in or out. Bellhops often wear a uniform, like certain other page boys or doormen. This occupation is also know ...
at a hotel in
Kennebunk to finance his time at Bates. He would record in his diaries occasional feelings of insecurity among his wealthier Bates peers; Muskie was fearful of being kicked out of the college as a consequence of his
socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status (SES) is a measurement used by economics, economists and sociology, sociologsts. The measurement combines a person's work experience and their or their family's access to economic resources and social position in relation t ...
. His situation would gradually improve and he went on to graduate in 1936 as class president and a member of
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
.
Initially intending to major in mathematics he switched to a double major in history and government.
Upon his graduation, he was given a partial merit-based scholarship to
Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School is the law school of Cornell University, a private university, private, Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York.
One of the five Ivy League law schools, Cornell Law School offers four degree programs (Juris Doctor, JD, Maste ...
. After his second semester there, his scholarship ran out. As he was preparing to drop out, he heard of an "eccentric millionaire" named William Bingham II who had a habit of randomly and sporadically paying the university costs, mortgages, car loans, and other expenses of those who wrote to him. After Muskie wrote to him about his immigrant origins he secured $900 from the man allowing him to finance his final years at Cornell. While in law school he was elected to
Phi Alpha Delta and went on to graduate ''
cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...
'', in 1939.
Upon graduating from Cornell, Muskie was admitted to the
Massachusetts Bar
The Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA) is a voluntary, non-profit bar association in Massachusetts with a headquarters on West Street in Boston, Boston's Downtown Crossing. The MBA also has a Western Massachusetts office.
The purpose of the MB ...
in 1939.
He then worked as a high school substitute teacher while he was studying for the Maine Bar examination; he passed in 1940. Muskie moved to
Waterville and purchased a small law practice—renamed "Muskie & Glover"—for $2,000 in March 1940. He helped write Waterville's first zoning ordinance and was elected secretary of the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Marriage and children
Jane Frances Gray was born February 12, 1927, in Waterville to Myrtie and Millage Guy Gray. Growing up, she was voted "prettiest in school" in high school and at age 15, started her first job, in a dress shop.
At age 18, Gray was hired to be a bookkeeper and saleswoman in an exclusive
haute couture boutique in Waterville. While there, a mutual friend tried to introduce her to Muskie while he was working in the city as a lawyer. She had Gray model the dresses in the shop window while he was walking to work. Muskie came into the shop one day and invited her to a gala event. At the time, she was 19 and he was 32;
their difference in age stirred controversy in the town. However, after eighteen months of courting Gray and her family, she agreed to marry him in a private ceremony in 1948. Gray and Muskie had five children: Stephen (born 1949), Ellen (born 1950), Melinda (born 1956), Martha (born 1958, d. 2006), and Edmund Jr. (born 1961).
The Muskies lived in a yellow cottage at
Kennebunk Beach while they lived in Maine.
U.S. Navy Reserve, 1942–1945
In June 1940, President Roosevelt created the
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II. Between July 1, 1943, and June 30, 1946, more than 125,000 participants were enrolled in 131 colleg ...
to prepare men under the age of 28 for the eventual outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Muskie formally registered for the
draft
Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
in October 1940 and was formally called to
deck officer
The deck department is an organisational team on board naval and merchant ships. Seafarers in the deck department work a variety of jobs on a ship or vessel, but primarily they will carry out the navigation of a vessel from the bridge. Howeve ...
training on March 26, 1942.
[Witherell (2014), p. 64] At 28, he was assigned to work as a
diesel engineer in the
Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School.
On September 11, 1942, Muskie was called to
Annapolis
Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
, Maryland, to attend the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...
. He left his law practice running so "his name would continue to circulate in Waterville" while he was gone. He trained as an
apprentice seaman for six weeks before being assigned the rank of
midshipman
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
.
In January 1943, Muskie attended diesel engineering school for sixteen weeks before being assigned to
First Naval District,
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
in May. Muskie worked on the for a month. In June, he was assigned to the at
Fort Schuyler in New York, where he worked as an
indoctrinator. In November 1943, Muskie was promoted to
Deck Officer
The deck department is an organisational team on board naval and merchant ships. Seafarers in the deck department work a variety of jobs on a ship or vessel, but primarily they will carry out the navigation of a vessel from the bridge. Howeve ...
. He trained for two weeks in Miami, Florida, at the
Submarine Chaser Training Center. After that, Muskie was relocated to
Columbus, Ohio, to study
reconnaissance
In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
in February 1944.
[Witherell (2014), p. 70] In March, he was promoted to
Lieutenant (junior grade)
Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies.
United States
Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), i ...
.
Muskie was stationed at California's
Mare Island
Mare Island (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Isla de la Yegua'') is a peninsula in the United States in the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait junc ...
in April temporarily before formally engaging in
active duty
Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force.
Indian
The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one of the largest active service forces in the world, with almost 1.42 million Active Standin ...
warfare.
Muskie began his active duty tour aboard the
destroyer escort
Destroyer escort (DE) was the United States Navy mid-20th-century classification for a warship designed with the endurance necessary to escort mid-ocean convoys of merchant marine ships.
Development of the destroyer escort was promoted by th ...
. His vessel was in charge of protecting
U.S. convoys traveling from the
Marshal
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...
and
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands (;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this name applied o ...
from
Japanese submarines. The ''Brackett'' escorted ships to and from the islands for the majority of summer 1944. In January 1945, the ship engaged and eventually sank a Japanese cargo ship headed for
Taroa Island
Taroa is an island in the east of Maloelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands. During World War II, it was the site of a major Japanese airfield (Taroa Airfield). The airfield was destroyed near the close of World War II, and parts of the base and its ...
. After a few more months of escorting ships to and from the two islands, the ship was
decommissioned. He was
discharged
Discharge may refer to:
* The act of firing a gun
* Termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer
* Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from service
Flow
* Discharge (hydrology), the a ...
from the Navy on December 18, 1945.
Maine House of Representatives

Muskie returned to Maine in January 1946 and began rebuilding his law practice. Convinced by others to run for political office as a way of expanding his law practice, he formally entered politics. Muskie ran against Republican
William A. Jones in an election for the
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via ...
for the 110th District. Muskie secured 2,635 votes and won the election to most people's surprise on September 9, 1946. During this time, the Maine Senate was stacked 30-to-3 and the House was stacked 127-to-24 Republicans against Democrats.
[Witherell (2014), p. 79]
Muskie was assigned to the committees on federal and military relations during his first year. He advocated for
bipartisanship
Bipartisanship, sometimes referred to as nonpartisanship, is a political situation, usually in the context of a two-party system (especially those of the United States and some other western countries), in which opposing political parties find c ...
, which won him widespread support across political parties. On October 17, 1946, Muskie's law practice sustained a large fire, costing him an estimated $2,300 in damages. However, a yearly stipend of $800 and help from other business leaders who were affected by the fire quickly restarted his practice.
Muskie's work with city ordinances in
Waterville prompted locals to ask him to run in the 1947 election to become Mayor of Waterville, against banker Russel W. Squire. Perhaps due to
incumbency advantage, Muskie lost the election with 2,853 votes, 434 votes behind Squire. Some historians believe that his loss had to do with his inability to gain traction with
Franco-American voters.
Muskie continued his political involvement locally by securing a position on the Waterville Board of Zoning Adjustment in 1948 and stayed in this part-time position until he became governor. He later returned to the House to start his second term in 1948 as
Minority Leader against heavy Republican opposition. Muskie was appointed the chairman of the platform committee during the 1949 Maine Democratic Convention. During the convention, he brought together a variety of the political elite of Maine—notably
Frank M. Coffin and Victor Hunt Harding—to plan a comeback for the party. On February 8, 1951, Muskie resigned from the Maine House of Representatives to become acting director for the Maine
Office of Price Stabilization
An office is a space where the employees of an organization perform administrative work in order to support and realize the various goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific dut ...
. He moved to
Portland soon after and was assigned the inflation-control and price-ceiling divisions.
[Witherell (2014), p. 99] His job required him to move across Maine to spread word about economic incentives which he used to increase his name recognition.
He served as the regional director at the Office of Price Stabilization from 1951 to 1952.
Upon leaving the Office he was asked to join the
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...
as a member; he served on the committee from 1952 to 1956.
In April 1953, while working on renovations for his family home in Waterville, Muskie broke through a balcony railing, falling down two flights of stairs.
[Witherell (2014), p. 109] He landed on his back, knocked
unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital, where he remained unconscious for two days.
Doctors believed that Muskie was in a coma, so they gave him comatose-specific medication which caused him to regain consciousness but start to
hallucinate. Muskie tried to jump out of the hospital window, but was restrained by staff members. After a couple of months, through
physical rehabilitation and corrective braces, he was able to walk once more.
Governor of Maine, 1955–1959
Gubernatorial campaign

After establishing a prominent presence in the Maine State Legislature and with the Office of Price Stabilization, he officially launched his bid in the
1954 Maine gubernatorial race as a Democrat.
Burton M. Cross, the Republican incumbent governor, was seeking reelection. Had he won, he would have been
the fifth consecutive Governor to be reelected. Throughout the election Muskie was viewed as the
underdog
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or wikt:top dog, top dog. In the case where an under ...
because of the
Republican stronghold in Maine. Muskie acknowledged this himself by saying, "
his ismore as a duty than an opportunity because there was no chance of a Democrat winning."
A variety of personal reasons motivated his run. Muskie was deeply in debt owing five thousand dollars in hospital bills and maintained a rising mortgage. At the time of his election, the salary for the Governor of Maine was set at ten thousand dollars annually.
While he was campaigning he was offered a position involving full partnership at a prestigious Rumford law firm that maintained "clients and income that
uskiehad not achieved in fourteen years of practice in Waterville."
His final choice reflected his 'society over self' mentality and decided to pursue the election.
[Robert Mason, ''Richard Nixon and the Quest for a New Majority'' (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina, 2004), p. 153.] He announced his candidacy for the office on April 8, 1954.
[Blomquist 1999, p. 93]
Muskie ran on a
party platform
A political party platform (American English), party program, or party manifesto (preferential term in British and often Commonwealth English) is a formal set of principal goals which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, t ...
of environmentalism and public investment. His environmental platform argued for the establishment of the Maine Department of Conservation to "have jurisdiction of forestry, inland fish and game, sea and shore
fisheries
Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...
, mineral, water, and other
natural resource
Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...
s" and the creation of
anti-pollution legislation. He stressed the need for "a two-party" approach to Maine politics with resonated with both Democratic and Republican voters wishing to see change. Muskie's central
campaign slogan was "Maine Needs A Change" referencing the multi-year Republican stronghold.
He criticized the Republican Party for neglecting the environment, failing to restart the economy, underutilizing skilled labor forces, and ignoring public investment.
[Blomquist 1999, pp. 93–94]
He successively won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, and then the general election by a majority popular vote on September 13, 1954. The
upset victory made Muskie the first Democrat to be elected chief executive of Maine since
Louis J. Brann in 1934. His election has been viewed as a causal link to the end of Republican political dominance in Maine and the rise of
the Democratic Party.
After his win, he was asked by other Democrats running in elections outside of Maine to make a series of campaign stops.
First term

Muskie was inaugurated as the
64th Governor of Maine
The governor of Maine is the head of government of the U.S. state of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive.
The current governor of Maine is J ...
on January 6, 1955. He was the state's first
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
governor.
Shortly after his assumption of the office, the next election cycle stacked the legislature with a 4-to-1 Republican-Democrat ratio against Muskie. Through
bipartisanship
Bipartisanship, sometimes referred to as nonpartisanship, is a political situation, usually in the context of a two-party system (especially those of the United States and some other western countries), in which opposing political parties find c ...
and his aggressive personality
he managed to pass the majority of his party platform. Constituents pressured him to more aggressively pursue water control and anti-pollution legislation. In August, the
Maine State Legislature
The Maine State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate. The legislature convenes at the State House in ...
authorized him to take extraordinary action to control the state's pollution standards. He used this authority to sign the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Compact on August 31, 1955. This compact required member states to pay for anti-pollution measures collectively. Conservative members of the Chamber of Commerce fought back against Muskie in his attempt to allocate money to the compact and greatly reduced the amount paid. One of the chief concerns of Muskie during this time was economic development. Maine's population was aging, putting pressure on
welfare services. He expanded certain programs and cut down on others in order rebalance state spending.
Before leaving office Muskie signed an
executive order
In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of the ...
extending the gubernatorial term to four years.
He expanded the territory comprising
Baxter State Park by 3,569 acres and purchased 40 acres (1.7 million ft
2) of
Cape Elizabeth from the federal government for $28,000. He also created the Department of Development of Commerce and Industry and Maine Industrial Building Authority.
In February 1955, he was briefed on atomic energy power by the
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by the U.S. Congress to foster and control the peacetime development of atomic science and technology. President Harry ...
leading him to limit the expansion of atomic-powered electrical facilities.
Second term
On September 10, 1956, Muskie was re-elected Governor of Maine by 55,859 votes against Republican
Willis A. Trafton. He won 14 of the 16 counties. He began his second term by aggressively enforcing environmental standards. In 1957, he sanctioned a $29 million highway
bond.
This bond funded the largest road construction ever undertaken by Maine. The highway included 91 bridges and was extended in 1960 and 1967 by
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
.
During his tenure as Governor he retained a reputation for increased spending in public education, subsidized hospitals, modernized state facilities, and cumulatively raised state sale taxes by 1%.
He added $4 million to infrastructure development focusing on roads and river maintenance. Muskie pushed aggressive
economic expansion
An economic expansion is an upturn in the level of economic activity and of the goods and services available. It is a finite period of growth, often measured by a rise in real GDP, that marks a reversal from a previous period, for example, whi ...
ism.
In 1957, he founded the Maine Guarantee Authority which combated
economic maturation-related job loss, making capital more accessible for business owners. Muskie also sporadically lowered
sales tax
A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...
, increased the
minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...
and furthered labor protections leading to a marked increase in
consumer spending
Consumer spending is the total money spent on final goods and services by individuals and households.
There are two components of consumer spending: induced consumption (which is affected by the level of income) and autonomous consumption (which ...
.
He amended the
constitution of Maine in order to divert $20 million in public funds into private investment. He increased subsidies to expensive institutions such as public primary and secondary schools as well as universities. Although initially founded in 1836, the
Maine State Museum
The Maine State Museum is the official Maine government's museum and is located at 230 State Street, adjacent to the Maine State House, in Augusta, Maine, Augusta. Its collections focus on the state's pre-history, history, and natural science.
...
was closed and reopened six times before Muskie permanently
endowed
A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are ...
it in 1958.
His governorship exploited multi-factionalism in the Republican Party, leading to a vast expansion of the
Democratic Party in Maine. From 1954 to 1974, the party doubled in size, while the Republican Party steadily decreased from 262,367 to 227,828 registered members.
Numerous state politicians mimicked his political style to push their programs through various local governments and garnered electoral success.
His executive appointments of moderate politicians shifted the entire Republican establishment in the state to the left.
This shift garnered comparisons to
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American politician who served from 1965 to 1969 as the 38th vice president of the United States. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Minnesota from 19 ...
's influence in
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
and
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American politician, diplomat, and historian who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, and the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...
's impact in
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...
.
During his last months as governor he changed his office's term from two years to four years.
Shortly before leaving office he moved Maine's general election date from September to November conclusively ending the notion that "
as Maine goes, so goes the nation
"As Maine goes, so goes the nation" was once a maxim in United States politics. The phrase described Maine's reputation as a bellwether state for presidential elections. Maine's September election of a governor predicted the party outcome of the ...
". This was attempted thirty-six times before Muskie brought about a constitutional amendment that moved the date.
Muskie resigned on January 2, 1959, to take his seat in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
after the
1958 Senate election. He was succeeded by Republican
Robert Haskell in an interim capacity until the Governor-elect, Democrat
Clinton Clauson, was inaugurated. Muskie was officially succeeded by Clauson on January 6, 1959.
United States Senate, 1959–1980
Elections and campaigns

Muskie's first contestation for the
Senate of the United States
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the eld ...
was in
1958
Events
January
* January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being.
* January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
* January 4
** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...
. He announced his intent to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Frederick G. Payne on March 20, 1958. Muskie won the election with 61% of the vote against Payne's 39%. Muskie's victory made him the first Democrat elected to the Senate in Maine, with the state's previous Democratic Senator having been appointed by the legislature. He was one of the 12 Democrats who overtook Republican incumbents and established the party as the party-of-house during the election cycle.
''The New York Times'' reported that during this election that the absentee ballots requested for Democrats increased considerable signaling voter-discontent with Republican Party (United States), Republican ideology.
This election was considered the largest single-party gain in the Senate's history.
He ran for a second term in United States Senate election, 1964, 1964, running against Republican Clifford McIntire. Muskie won with 67% of the vote.
Election eve speech
His third campaign and election to the Senate occurred in 1970. During the United States Senate election, 1970, 1970 elections, Muskie secured 62% of the vote against Republican Neil S. Bishop's 38%. The elections were seen as tumultuous due to the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War and rising unpopularity of incumbent president
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
. On the night of poll-opening Muskie gave a nationwide, 14-minute speech to addressed American voters following a similar address by Nixon. Dubbed the "election eve speech"
it spoke to American exceptionalism and against "torrents of falsehood and insinuation".
The speech was considered Bipartisanship, bipartisan and was well received by both parties. Political analysts believed that the speech influenced voting patterns during the election as there were thirty million listeners.
Commentators received the speech as "essentially evangelical"
and indicative of "a volcanic private temper but a soothing public manner".
The most famous passage from the speech was widely commented on by the public for its biting nature and critique of "Defamation, politics of fear":
I am speaking from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, to discuss with you the election campaign which is coming to a close. In the heat of our campaigns, we have all become accustomed to a little anger and exaggeration. That is our system. It has worked for almost two hundred years—longer than any other political system in the world. But in these elections of 1970, something has gone wrong. There has been name-calling and deception of almost unprecedented volume. Honorable men have been slandered. Faithful servants of the country have had their motives questioned and their patriotism doubted. It has been led . . . inspired . . . and guided . . . from the highest offices in the land. ... We cannot make America small. ... Ordinarily that division is not between parties, but between men and ideas. But this year the leaders of the Republican party have intentionally made that line a party line. They have confronted you with exactly that choice. Thus—in voting for the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic party tomorrow—you cast your vote for trust—not just in leaders or policies—but for trusting your fellow citizens . . . in the ancient traditions of this home for freedom . . . and most of all, for trust in yourself.
The ''Portland Press Herald'' on November 4, 1970, noted it akin to
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
's Fireside chats, fire-side chats "with video".
The speech has been the subject of numerous studies regarding "the dimensions of the televised public address as an emerging rhetorical genre of pervasive influence in contemporary affairs".
In his United States Senate elections, 1976, fourth and final election, Muskie ran against Republican Robert A. G. Monks in 1976; he won 60% of the vote compared to Monk's 40%. The elections coincided with the election of
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
as president, leading to a large influx of Democratic support, though Carter lost Maine to incumbent President Gerald Ford in the 1976 United States presidential election, 1976 presidential election.
First and second term
Edmund Muskie was sworn into office as List of United States Senators from Maine, U.S. Senator from Maine on January 3, 1959. His first couple of months in the Senate earned a reputation for being combative and often sparred with Majority leader, Majority Leader, Lyndon B. Johnson, who subsequently relegated him to outer seats in the Senate. In the next five years, he gained significant power and influence and was considered among the most effective legislators in the Senate.
However, increased power and influence prompted supporters in Maine to label him "an honorary Kennedy", alluding to the indifference John F. Kennedy had to Massachusetts when first gaining political traction.
Muskie used the influence gained in his first two terms to push a vast expansion of environmentalism in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
His specific goals were to curb pollution and provide a cleaner environment. Occasional speeches on Environmentalism, environmental preservation earned him the nickname "Mr. Clean".
He served his entire career in the Senate as a member of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Committee on Public Works, a committee he used to execute the majority of his environmental legislation.
He served on the United States House Committee on Financial Services, Committee on Banking and Currency from 1959 to 1970; the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Committee on Government Operations until 1978.
As a member of the Public Works Committee, he traveled to the Soviet Union in 1959.
He Sponsor (legislative), sponsored the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, Intergovernmental Relations Act, later that year.
In 1962, he co-founded the United States Capitol Historical Society, United States Capital Historical Society along with other members of Congress. The same year, members of Congress elected him to serve as the first chair of the Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution.
In 1963, he was the first to sponsor a new Act to regulate air pollution. The Clean Air Act (United States), Clean Air Act of 1963 was written and developed by Muskie and his aide Leon Billings.

His first major accomplishment was the passage of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...
. He assembled more than one hundred votes for the proposed legislation eventually passing it.
Also during 1964, he was critical of J. Edgar Hoover's management of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of investigation. Muskie was upset by its "overzealous surveillance and its director's intemperance".
Muskie also sponsored the construction of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park near Franklin D. Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Brunswick estate.
Due to its international nature, Muskie was asked to chair a joint U.S.-Canada commission to maintain the park.
In 1965, he was again sponsored the Clean Water Act, Water Quality Act (later to be known as the Clean Water Act). He was the floor manager for the discussion and led to its passage in 1965 and its successful amendments in 1970.
Alongside President Johnson's Great Society and War on Poverty programs, Muskie drafted the Model Cities Program, Model Cities Bill which eventually passed both houses of Congress in 1966.
Previously, combative with Johnson, Muskie began developing a more cooperative relationship with him. During Johnson's signing of the Cooperative Funds Act, Intergovernmental Cooperation Act he said: I am pleased that Senator Muskie could be with us this afternoon. I believe that no man has done more to encourage cooperation among the National Government, the States, and the cities." Also in 1966, Muskie was elected assistant Party leaders of the United States Senate, Democratic whip and served as the floor manager for the Clean Waters Restoration Act, Clean Water Restoration Act.
During 1967 the popular sentiment in the U.S. was Anti-war movement, anti-war, which prompted Muskie to visit Vietnam to inform his political stance in 1968. Prior to his visiting the country, he debated with a congressman on a pro-war platform. After the trip, he became a leading voice for the anti-war movement and entered into the ongoing debate by speaking at the year's Democratic Convention. His speech was followed by "tens of thousands of protestors surrounded the convention and violent clashes with police carried on for five days."
He wrote to Johnson personally asserting his position on the Vietnam War. He made the case that the U.S. ought to withdraw from Vietnam as quickly as possible.
Months later, he wrote to the president again urging him to end Operation Rolling Thunder, the bombing of North Vietnam. During the same year, he traveled with other Senators to the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, Republic of South Vietnam to validate their elections.
Later, at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, he led the debate for the administration plank on Vietnam, which sparked public outrage. On October 15, 1969, he was welcomed to the green at Yale University to address the issues regarding his vote but chose to decline the offer and speak that night at his alma mater,
Bates College
Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
, in
Lewiston, Maine.
His decision to do so was widely criticized by the Democratic party and Yale University officials.
From 1967 to 1969, he served as the chair of Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
He voted against the appointment of Clement Haynsworth to the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Supreme Court.
Third and fourth term
Muskie's third term began in 1970 by co-sponsoring the McGovern–Hatfield Amendment, McGovern-Hatfield resolution to limit military intervention in the Vietnam War.
During this time G. Harrold Carswell, Harold Carswell was seeking appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Muskie voted against him and Carswell failed the confirmation process.
Muskie also proposed a six-month ban on domestic and Soviet Union development of nuclear technologies to taper the nuclear arms race.

As chair of the congressional environmental committee, he and fellow committee members including Howard Baker introduced the Clean Air Act of 1970, which was co-written by the committee's staff director Leon Billings and minority staff director Tom Jorling. As part of the act, he told the automobile industry it would need to reduce its tailpipe air pollution emissions by 90% by 1977. He also co-wrote amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Act, more commonly known as the Clean Water Act, and urged his fellow Congress members to adopt it, saying "The country was once famous for its rivers ... But today, the rivers of this country serve as little more than sewers to the seas. ... The danger to health, the environmental damage, the economic loss can be anywhere." The bill enjoyed Bipartisanship, bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress and was passed by the House on November 29, 1971, and the Senate on March 29, 1972. While congressional support was enough to enact it into law, President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
exercised his Veto, executive veto on the bill and stopped it from becoming law. However, after further campaigning by Muskie, the United States Senate, Senate and United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives passed the bill 247–23 to override Nixon's veto.
The bill was historic in that it established the regulation of pollutants in the federal and state waters of the U.S., created extended authority for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, and created water health standards. Also in 1971, Muskie was asked to join the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senate Foreign Relations Committee; he traveled to Europe and the Middle East in this capacity.
After concluding his 1968 United States presidential election, 1968 campaign for the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
, he returned to the Senate. While in Chattanooga, the Jackson State killings, shooting of two black students at Jackson State University, Jackson State College in 1970 by the Mississippi State Police, prompted Muskie to hire a jet airliner to take approximately one hundred people to see the bullet holes and attend a funeral of one of the victims. Critics in Maine described his actions as "rash and self serving" but Muskie publicly expressed no regret for his actions.
At an event in Los Angeles, he publicly stated his support for several Black Power movement, black empowerment movements in California, which garnered the attention of numerous media outlets, and black city councilman Thomas Bradley.
In 1970, Muskie was chosen to articulate the Democratic party's message to congressional voters before the midterm elections. His national stature was raised as a major candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. In 1973, he gave the Democratic response to Nixon's State of the Union address.
During this time, he was appointed the chair of the intergovernmental relations subcommittee. Considered "a backwater assignment", Muskie used it to advocate for a widening of governmental responsibilities, limiting the power of
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
's "imperial presidency, Imperial Presidency" and advancing
New Federalism ideals.
Muskie served as the chairman of the United States Senate Committee on the Budget, Senate Budget Committee through the Ninety-third United States Congress, Ninety-third to the Ninety-sixth United States Congress, Ninety-sixth Congresses from 1973 to 1980. During this time, Congress founded the Congressional Budget Office in order to challenge Nixon's budget request. Prior to 1974, there was no formal process for establishing a United States federal budget, federal budget, so Congress founded the office under the auspices of the Senate Budget Committee. As chairman, Muskie presided over, formulated, and approved of the creation of the
United States budget process
The United States budget process is the framework used by Congress and the President of the United States to formulate and create the United States federal budget. The process was established by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, the Congre ...
.
[Archived a]
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
In 1977, he amended Clean Water Act, Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 along with others, to pass the Clean Water Act, Clean Water Act of 1977.
[Blomquist (1999), p. 261] These new additions incorporated "non-degradation" or "clean growth" policies intended to limit Externality, negative externalities.
In 1978, he made minor adjustments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the "Superfund".
Campaigns for the White House
1968 presidential election
Campaign

In 1968, Muskie was nominated for vice president on the Democratic ticket with sitting Vice President
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American politician who served from 1965 to 1969 as the 38th vice president of the United States. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Minnesota from 19 ...
. Humphrey asked Muskie to be his running mate because Muskie, in addition to being of Polish Catholic Church, Catholic heritage, had a more reserved personality that would contrast well with Humphrey's more ebullient style.
The Humphrey-Muskie ticket narrowly lost the popular vote to
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
and Spiro Agnew. Humphrey and Muskie received 42.7% of the popular vote and carried 13 states and 191 Electoral College (United States), electoral votes; Nixon and Agnew won 43.4% of the popular vote and carried 32 states and 301 electoral votes, while the Third party (United States), third party ticket of George Wallace and Curtis LeMay, running as candidates of the American Independent Party, took 14% of the popular vote and took five states in the Deep South and their 46 votes in the Electoral College (United States), electoral college. Because Agnew seemed a weaker candidate than Muskie, Humphrey remarked that voters' uncertainties about whom to choose between the two major presidential candidates should be resolved by their attitudes toward the vice-presidential candidates.
[Nixon, Richard. ''RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon''.] While on the vice-presidential campaign trail in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Muskie was quoted as saying:
The truth is that Americans, born in this great tradition of humanism, still yield to prejudice and practice discrimination against other Americans. The truth is, having developed patterns and ways of living which reflect these shortcomings and weaknesses, we find it burdensome and difficult to – and all too often unacceptable to – do the uncomfortable things that we all must do to right the wrongs of our society.
1972 presidential election
Background and primaries

Before the 1972 United States presidential election, 1972 election, Muskie was viewed as a front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Despite his strong polling, he continued to engage in tiring day-after-day speeches in various parts of the country.
When asked during an August 17, 1969, appearance on ''Meet the Press'' whether he would be a candidate in 1972, Muskie said it would depend on his being convinced that he could meet the challenges as well as his comfort. On November 8, 1970, Muskie said he would declare himself a candidate only if he became convinced he was best suited to unify the country.
An August 1971 opinion poll showed Muskie outperforming Nixon.
In late 1971, Muskie gave an anti-war speech in Providence, Rhode Island, Providence.
The nation was at Vietnam War, war in Vietnam and President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
's foreign policy promised to be a major issue in the campaign.
The 1972 Iowa caucuses, however, significantly altered the race for the presidential nomination. Senator
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American politician, diplomat, and historian who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, and the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...
from
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...
, initially a dark horse candidate, made a strong showing in the caucuses, giving his campaign national attention. Although Muskie won the Iowa caucuses, McGovern's campaign left Iowa with momentum. Muskie himself had never before participated in a primary election campaign. Muskie went on to win the New Hampshire primary, but by a disappointingly small margin, and his campaign took a hit after the release of the "Canuck letter".
"Canuck letter"
On February 24, 1972, a staffer from the White House forwarded a letter about Muskie to the ''Manchester Union-Leader''. The forgery, forged letter, reportedly the successful sabotage work of Committee for the Re-Election of the President members Donald Segretti and Ken W. Clawson, asserted that Muskie had made disparaging remarks about French Canadians which were likely to injure his support among the French-American population in northern New England.
The letter contained reference to French Canadians as "Canucks," a term used affectionately by some Canadians, but regarded as offensive when referring to French Canadians, prompting journalists to refer to it as the "Canuck letter."
A day later, the same paper released an article that portrayed Muskie's wife, Jane as a drunkard and racially intolerant. On the morning of February 26, Muskie gave a speech to supporters outside of the ''Manchester Union-Leader'' offices in Manchester, New Hampshire. His speech was viewed as emotional and defensive; he called the newspaper's editor a "gutless coward."
[Archived a]
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Wayback Machine
Muskie gave the speech during a snowstorm, which made it appear that he was crying. Though Muskie later claimed that the seeming tears were merely melted snowflakes, the press reported that Muskie broke down and cried, shattering the candidate's image as calm and reasoned.
", ''The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Online NewsHour'', Public Broadcasting Service, PBS, March 26, 1996.
Evidence later came to light during the Watergate scandal investigation that, during the 1972 presidential campaign, the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, Nixon campaign committee maintained a "dirty tricks" unit focused on discrediting Nixon's strongest challengers. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigators revealed that the Canuck Letter was a forged document as part of the dirty-tricks campaign against Democrats orchestrated by the Nixon campaign.
Nixon was also reported to have ordered men to follow Muskie around and gather information. He tried to connect Muskie's acquaintance with singer Frank Sinatra to an abuse of office. Muskie often flew on Sinatra's private plane while traveling around California.
1976 presidential election
In early July 1976, Muskie spoke with
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
in a "productive" and "harmonious" discussion that was followed by Carter confirming that he considered Muskie qualified for the vice-presidential nomination. Carter ultimately selected Walter Mondale as his running mate.
U.S. Secretary of State, 1980–1981
In late April 1980, he was tapped by President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
to serve as secretary of state, following the resignation of Cyrus Vance. Vance had opposed Operation Eagle Claw, a secret rescue mission intended to rescue Iran hostage crisis, American hostages held by Iran. After that mission failed with the loss of eight U.S. servicemen, Vance resigned. Muskie was picked by Carter for his accomplishments with senatorial foreign policy. He was appointed and soon after Article Two of the United States Constitution, confirmed by the Senate on May 8, 1980, by a margin of 94–2.
Draft Muskie movement
In June 1980, there was a "draft Muskie" movement among Democratic voters within the primaries of the Democratic Party presidential primaries, 1980, 1980 presidential election. President Carter was running against Senator Ted Kennedy, and opinion polls ranked Muskie more favorably against Kennedy. One poll showed that Muskie would be a more popular alternative to Carter than Ted Kennedy, implying that the attraction was not so much to Kennedy as to the fact that he was not Carter. Moreover, Muskie was polled against Republican challenger Ronald Reagan at the time showing Carter seven points down. Due to a political allegiance with Carter, he backed out of the contention.
Pressured by the Presidency of Jimmy Carter, Carter Administration, Muskie released the following public statement to Democratic voters: "I accepted the appointment as secretary of state to serve the country and to serve the president. I continue to serve the president, and I will support him all the way! I have a commitment to the president. I don't make such commitments lightly, and I intend to keep it."
An article by ''The New Yorker'' speculated that the move to back Muskie was a temporary flex of political power by the Democratic voter base to unease Carter.
Afghanistan
In December 1979, Soviet–Afghan War, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan which prompted NATO to trigger its ally contract.
Muskie began his tenure as secretary of state five months into the invasion. He assigned Deputy Secretary Warren Christopher the tasks of managing the domestic side of the department while he participated in international deliberations.
Muskie met with Soviet diplomat Andrei Gromyko who categorically rejected a compromise that would secure the Soviet Union's Soviet–Afghan War, withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Gromyko wanted the state department to formally recognize Kabul as a part of the Soviet Union.
Soviet Union
Muskie was against the rapid accumulation of highly developed weaponry during the 1950s and 1960s as he thought that would inevitably lead to a nuclear arms race that would erode international trust and cooperation. He spoke frequently with the government executives of Cold War allies and that of the Soviet Union urging them to suspend their programs in pursuit of global security.
Muskie's inclinations were confirmed during the early 1970s when Russia split from the U.S. and accumulated more warheads and Missile defense, anti-ballistic missile systems. In November 1980, Muskie stated that Russia was interested in pursuing a "more stable, less confrontational' relationship with the United States." He criticized the stances undertaken by Ronald Reagan multiple times during his presidential campaign expressing disdain for the calls to reject the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, SALT II treaty. Muskie, throughout his political career, was deeply afraid of Nuclear warfare, global nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
Iran hostage crisis
On November 4, 1979, 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage by Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, an Iranian student group in Tehran's Embassy of the United States, Tehran, U.S. Embassy. After the resignation of Cyrus Vance left a gap in the negotiations for the hostages, Muskie appealed to the United Nations (U.N.) and the government of Iran to release the hostages, to little success. Already six months into the hostage crisis, he was pressed to reach a diplomatic solution.
[Mitchell 2009: 640] Before he assumed the position, the Delta Force rescue attempt called Operation Eagle Claw resulted in the death of multiple soldiers, leaving military intervention a sensitive course of action for the American public. He established diplomatic ties with the Iranian government and attempted to have the hostages released, yet was initially unsuccessful. On January 15, 1981, as Muskie was flying to address the Maine Senate in Augusta, President Carter called him as his jet was touching down at Andrews Field, Andrews Air Force Base.
Carter alerted him that there was a possible breakthrough in the negotiations conducted by his deputy secretary Warren Christopher.
After the negotiations failed, Muskie instructed the state department to continue seeking an agreement for the hostages' release.
On January 20—the First inauguration of Ronald Reagan, inauguration day of Ronald Reagan—the fifty-two hostages were handed over to U.S. authorities, a solution that had eluded Muskie and the entire Carter administration for 444 days and contributed to Carter's defeat.
Muskie left office on January 18, 1981, two days before Carter's last day as president and the inauguration of Ronald Reagan.
Later years

Muskie retired to his home in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1981. He continued to work as a lawyer for some years. After leaving public office, he was a partner with Chadbourne & Parke, a law firm in Washington, D.C., Washington.
Muskie also served as the chairman of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University as well as the chairman emeritus of the Center for National Policy.
In 1981, he was awarded the Laetare Medal by the University of Notre Dame, considered the most prestigious award for American Catholics.
Tower Commission
In 1987, Muskie was appointed a member of the President's Special Review Board known as the "Tower Commission" to investigate President Ronald Reagan's administration's role in the Iran–Contra affair, Iran-Contra affair. Muskie and the commission issued a highly detailed report of more than 300 pages that was critical of the president's actions and blamed the White House chief of staff, Donald Regan, Donald T. Regan, for unduly influencing the president's activities. The panel was notable as the findings of the report were directly critical of the president who appointed the commission.
Muskie was critical of the commission, decrying the "over-obsession with secrecy," noting that "there are occasions when it's necessary to hold closely information about especially covert operations, but even possibly other operations of the Government. But every time that you are over-concerned about secrecy, you tend to abandon process." While underfunded, the commission did find that the Reagan administration ran a parallel policy directive at the same time they were publicly condemning negotiating for hostages.
Death and funeral
Muskie died at 4:06 AM Eastern Time Zone, EST on the morning of March 26, 1996, at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., after seeking treatment for bouts of Heart failure, congestive heart failure. He died two days shy of his 82nd birthday. Eight days prior he had undergone a carotid endarterectomy in the right side of his neck.
His assistant reported that he had suffered a myocardial infarction.
Some historians believe that his Thrombus, blood clots were brought on from frequent flights to Cambodia; he had been asked to assist in stabilizing its government on behalf of President Bill Clinton.
Due to his service in the
United States Naval Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he was eligible to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, Arlington County, Virginia.
His ultimate rank of lieutenant had him placed in Section 25 of the cemetery. Although he died on March 26, his Headstone, grave stone initially noted that he died on the 25th. His wife, Jane, died on December 25, 2004, at age 77, due to health complications brought on by Alzheimer's disease.
She was buried next to Muskie and his grave stone was corrected to read "March 26, 1996".
Muskie was Memorialization, memorialized in Washington, D.C., Washington D.C.;
Lewiston, Maine; and Bethesda, Maryland, Bethesda, Maryland. At his Washington memorial, he was paid tribute to by a variety of U.S. senators and House representatives.
His ''alma mater—''
Bates College
Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
—held a memorial presided over by its president, Donald West Harward, Donald Harward.
On March 30, 1996, a publicly broadcast,
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
funeral was held in Bethesda at the Church of the Little Flower. He was Eulogy, eulogized by U.S. president
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
; U.S. Senator, George J. Mitchell; 20th United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Madeleine Albright; a political aide, Leon G. Billings; and one of Muskie's sons, Stephen.
Legacy
Historical evaluations

Historical evaluations of Edmund Muskie focus on the impact his actions and legislation had in the United States and the greater world.
His accomplishments in his home state have had him noted as one of the most influential politicians in History of Maine, the history of Maine.
Depending on the metric he is coupled with Hannibal Hamlin and James G. Blaine, James Blaine as the three most important politicians from Maine. Muskie occupied all offices available in Political party strength in Maine, the Maine political system excluding Maine Senate, state senator and United States House of Representatives, United States representative. His political status in Maine is generally perceived favorably. During his four-year term as Governor of Maine he initiated a constitutional amendment, invested heavily in infrastructure, and institutionalized economic development—effectively bringing Maine into the Post–World War II economic expansion, Golden Age of Capitalism.
[Witherell (2014) pp. 130–42] Muskie ended the "
as Maine goes, so goes the nation
"As Maine goes, so goes the nation" was once a maxim in United States politics. The phrase described Maine's reputation as a bellwether state for presidential elections. Maine's September election of a governor predicted the party outcome of the ...
" political sentiment in the United States by moving Maine's general election date to November instead of September.
He preserved the cultural integrity of the state by endowing the
Maine State Museum
The Maine State Museum is the official Maine government's museum and is located at 230 State Street, adjacent to the Maine State House, in Augusta, Maine, Augusta. Its collections focus on the state's pre-history, history, and natural science.
...
which was seen as critical to his public perception.
Although economic expansionism was historically seen negatively by the people of Maine, Muskie's policies were seen favorably as they were coupled with environmental provisions. His advocation for
minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...
increases, increased Labour law, labor protections, and
sales tax
A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...
exemptions boosted
consumer spending
Consumer spending is the total money spent on final goods and services by individuals and households.
There are two components of consumer spending: induced consumption (which is affected by the level of income) and autonomous consumption (which ...
.
Muskie has been widely characterized as the catalyst for the political renaissance of the
Democratic Party in Maine.
His election to the governorship signaled a fracturing of the Maine Republican Party, Republican Party in the state and nearly tripled the number of Democrats in Maine between 1954 and 1974.
Since Muskie left office as the United States Secretary of State, U.S. Secretary of State, writers, historians, scholars, political analysts and the general public have debated his legacy. Particular emphasis is placed on his impact in the environmentalist and civil rights movement; bureaucratic advancement, and diplomacy. Overall supporters of Muskie point to an expansion of environmental protection, Environmentalism, preservation, and security. Numerous historians have noted him as "the father of the
1960s environmental movement in America".
His accomplishments in environmentalism established two of the foremost measures in U.S. environmental policy: the Clean Water Act, Clean Water Act Amendments of 1972 and 1977 and Clean Air Act (United States), Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970 and 1977. His contributions to the Clean Air Act were so great that the bill was nicknamed the "Muskie Act".
These two laws have been credited as the first major step to launching the wider environmentalism movement both in the U.S. and to some extent, the rest of the Free World. Harvard University law professor Richard Lazarus (law professor), Richard Lazarus summarized Muskie's legislative legacy with the following:
Senator Muskie's environmental law legacy is no less than stunning in terms of positive impact on the nation's natural environment. It takes little imagination to speculate what our national landscape would now look like if the economic growth we witnessed in the past four decades had not been accompanied by the environmental protections for air, land, and water provided by the laws that Senator Muskie championed in the 1970s.
Muskie's influence on Foreign policy of the United States, American diplomacy was detailed by the Office of the Historian with the following: "In the nine months Muskie served as Secretary of State, he conducted the first high-level meeting with the Government of the Soviet Union, Soviet government after its Soviet–Afghan War#December 1979 – February 1980: Occupation and national unrest, December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan. During these negotiations, Secretary Muskie unsuccessfully attempted to secure the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan. [He] also assisted President Carter in the implementation of the "Carter Doctrine", which aimed to limit Soviet–Afghan War, Soviet expansion into the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Finally, under Muskie's leadership, the State Department negotiated the release of the remaining Iran hostage crisis, American hostages held by Iran."
Many political commentators believed the bestowing of the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...
by Carter to be an affirmation of this assertion.
The public perception of his Civil and political rights, civil rights advancement has endured. A champion of the civil rights movement in the United States, he publicly criticized J. Edgar Hoover's Federal Bureau of Investigation, which was at the time considered political suicide as Hoover often spied on and attempted to smear his opponents. Muskie also was instrumental in the passage of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...
, the creation of
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., and often referred to shorthand as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the third Monday of January each year. King was the chief spokespers ...
, and developed the reform of Lobbying in the United States, lobbying.
His time as the chairman of the United States Senate Committee on the Budget, Senate Budget Committee from 1975 to 1980 include the formation of the
United States budget process
The United States budget process is the framework used by Congress and the President of the United States to formulate and create the United States federal budget. The process was established by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, the Congre ...
.
Because of this, he is known as the "father of the federal budget process".
David S. Broder, David Broder of ''The Washington Post'', noted that Muskie's leadership of the Senate's intergovernmental relations subcommittee was, in part, responsible for countering
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
's "Imperial Presidency" and advancing "
New Federalism".
Public and political image

Muskie's early political career was helped by his physical appearance. Voters could relate to his public persona in ways that translated to relatively high voter turnout. R. W. Apple Jr., R. W. Apple Jr. described Muskie as "long-jawed and craggy-faced" later noting that he "looked like the New England#Culture, typical New Englander [with] a classic New England English, Down East accent."
Muskie's height has variously been recorded as 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) to 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m). His height had him often compared to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and referred to by voters and media alike as "Lincolnesque".
He was often seen as "towering over" political candidates, creating symbolic superiority and power.
Known as a recluse, he disliked public attention and media speculation. Voters often associated with his "trademark directness, homespun integrity, and Apoliticism, apolitical candor".
However, political aides have described him as having a "hot temper" and being demanding.
A notorious Micromanagement, micro-manager, Muskie often required his aides to have "every speech and every position researched, analyzed and reported directly back to him."
While reserved and polite in public, when roused, it was reported that Muskie "had the vocabulary of a sailor".
His ability to command an argument was taken positively by voters as it signaled good leadership ability. Political opponents noted his "cutting intellect" as conducive to lengthy debates and voters noted it as a good quality to possess when negotiating with foreign leaders.
An official publication by Cornell University commented on his political image by saying: "he will be remembered for the quality of his mind; the toughness, the rigor, the common sense; and for another quality: the courage to take risks for what he saw as right".
Known to be Punctuality, punctual, he was present at 90% of Senate roll-call votes.
Although he was portrayed as socially rigid, he often broke from this mold and showed a personable side. While campaigning in cities, he often let students from the crowd run up to the stage and present a case for policy reform, unheard of at the time.
Internship Program
The Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program is a professional exchange program supported by the United States Department of State. It provides summer internship placements, career training, and financial support to Eurasian scholars and graduate students studying in the United States. The program was established by the United States Congress in 1992 Fiscal year#United States, fiscal year (, Sec. 227) and was named by the Freedom Support Act of 1992 (, Sec. 801). The Muskie program with a renewed format and scope was launched by Cultural Vistas in 2015. In the past, the program was administered by International Research & Exchanges Board and American Council of Teachers of Russian, American Council of Teachers of Russian/American Council for Collaboration in Education and Language.
Honors and memorials
He was awarded the Guardian of Berlin's Freedom Award from the United States Army Berlin, U.S. Army Berlin Command in 1961.
In 1969, he was inducted in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences alongside Ted Kennedy,
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American politician, diplomat, and historian who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, and the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...
, Walter Mondale, Shirley Chisholm, and Bella Abzug.
At the conclusion of his political career, he held the highest political office by a Polish American in U.S. history, and also was the only Polish American ever nominated by a major party for vice president.
[Hirshon (2003), p. 274] On the 100th birthday of Edmund Muskie, U.S. Senator Angus King spoke on the floor of the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
in memoriam. King noted the following: "if you would see Ed Muskie's memorial, look around you. Take a deep breath. Experience our great rivers. Experience the environment that we now have in the country that we treasure."
Muskie received Freedom of the City, the keys to all three major cities in Maine: Portland, Lewiston, and Augusta.
He was given honorary citizenship to the Texas, State of Texas in 1968. Numerous days have been named "Edmund S. Muskie Day": September 25, 1968 (Michigan), January 20, 1980 (New York), March 28, 1988 (Maine), March 1928, 1994 (Maine), and March 20, 1995 (Maine).
In 1987, the
Maine State Legislature
The Maine State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate. The legislature convenes at the State House in ...
enacted Statute §A7 enacting "Edmund S. Muskie Day" on March 28. The statute was amended in 1989; Edmund S. Muskie Day is celebrated annually and is a public holiday in Maine.

Muskie was given honorary degrees from Portland University (1955); Suffolk University (1955); University of Maine (1956); University at Buffalo, University of Buffalo (1960); St. Francis College, Saint Francis College (1961); Nasson College (1962); Hanover College (1967); Syracuse University (1969); Boston University (1969); John Carroll University (1969); University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame University (1969),; Middlebury College (1969); Providence College (1969); University of Maryland, Baltimore County, University of Maryland (1969); George Washington University (1969); Northeastern University (1969); College of William & Mary, College of William and Mary (1970); Ricker College (1970); Saint Joseph's University, St. Joseph's College (1970); University of New Hampshire (1970); Saint Anselm College, St. Anselm College (1970); Washington & Jefferson College, Washington and Jefferson College (1971); Rivier University, Rivier College (1971); Thomas College (1973); Husson University, Husson College (1974); Unity College (Maine), Unity College (1975); Marquette University (1982); Rutgers University (1986); Bates College (1986); Washington College (1987); and University of Southern Maine (1992).
Muskie was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...
—the nation's highest honor—by President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
on January 16, 1981, for his work during the
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis () began on November 4, 1979, when 66 Americans, including diplomats and other civilian personnel, were taken hostage at the Embassy of the United States in Tehran, with 52 of them being held until January 20, 1981. Th ...
, four days before stepping down from the presidency. In 1984, the House of Representatives designated the Edmund S. Muskie Federal Building in Augusta.
The American Bar Association honors lawyers who undertake ''pro bono'' work with the annual Edmund S. Muskie Pro Bono Service Award. From 1993 to 2013, the United States Department of State ran the Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program in an effort to increase international study abroad. In 1996, the Edmund S. Muskie Distinguished Public Service Award was founded by the Truman National Security Project to honor current or former elected officials.

The Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine was named in his honor in 1990.
Muskie's papers and personal effects are kept at the Campus of Bates College, Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library at
Bates College
Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
in
Lewiston, Maine.
[Witherell (2014), p. 251]
See also
* List of people from Maine
* List of Bates College people
* List of Cornell University alumni, List of Cornell University people
* List of governors of Maine
* List of United States senators from Maine
* List of secretaries of state of the United States
* List of United States presidential candidates
* List of United States Democratic Party presidential tickets
* Response to the State of the Union address
Explanatory notes
Citations
General and cited references
Cited works
* Anson, Cherrill A. (1972).
Edmund S. Muskie, Democratic Senator from Maine'. Grossman Publishing.
* Baldwin, Samuel J.; Nicoll Donald E.; Goldstien Soel K. et al. (2015). ''The Legacy of U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie''. Maine Law Review. Online.
* Blomquist, Robert F. (1999). ''What is Past is Prologue: Senator Edmund S. Muskie's Environmental Policymaking Roots as Governor of Maine, 1955–58''. Valparaiso University School of Law.
* Hirshon, Robert E. (2003). "The Legacy of Senator Edmund Muskie". ''Maine Law Review''. Online.
* King, Angus. (2014). "Sen. King Honors Sen. Ed Muskie's Centennial Birthday". Senator Angus S. King Jr. YouTube.
* Lippmann, Theo; Hansen Donald C. (1971). ''Muskie''. W.W. Norton & Company . Print.
* Mitchell George J. (1997). ''The World Peace: The Legacy of Edmund S. Muskie''. Cornell Law Review. Cornell University Press.
* Witherell, James L. (2014). ''Ed Muskie: Made in Maine: The Early Years, 1914–1960''. Tilbury House Publishers. Print.
Primary sources
Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library Archives & Manuscripts
Online legislative record
External links
*
The Edmund S. Muskie Foundation*
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