Stanley L. Greigg
Encyclopedia
Stanley Lloyd Greigg served one term as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from northwestern Iowa
. He was elected to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Republican Charles B. Hoeven
in 1964 but lost to Republican Wiley Mayne
two years later in 1966. Several years later, he was one of the victims of the Watergate break-in
.
, and spent his earliest years there and in nearby Hawarden, Iowa
, where his parents were involved in the restaurant business. The family moved to Sioux City, Iowa
and operated a restaurant there. After his father died in 1942, he needed to play a larger role in assisting his mother in running the restaurant. He continued to do so before and after his graduation from Sioux City East High School.
He received his B.A.
at Morningside College
in Sioux City in 1954, then spent two years at Syracuse University
in graduate work in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He served in the United States Navy
from 1957 to 1959. He returned to Sioux City to serve as the Dean of Men of Morningside College
, where he also taught speech and history courses. He was elected to the city council of Sioux City in 1961, becoming the city's youngest elected councilman and biggest council vote-getter in its history. In January 1964, at age 33, he was then elected as the mayor of Sioux City.
in the U.S. House of Representatives. defeating Republican Howard N. Sokol by over 10,000 votes. Longtime Republican Congressman Charles B. Hoeven had held the position 22 years, and his retirement had "created a political vacuum and a bitter Republican party fight," to Greigg's benefit. One of Greigg's top priorities in his campaign was to expand government assistance programs for very small businesses. Like many other freshman Democrats elected in 1964 in Republican-leaning districts, Greigg served only one term. In 1966, his re-election bid was thwarted by Sioux City attorney Wiley Mayne, who defeated Greigg by nearly 20,000 votes.
from 1970 to July 1972. It was in that position that Greigg found himself at the genesis of the Watergate scandal in the early morning hours of June 17, 1972. In the office of Greigg's personal secretary, in DNC headquarters at the Watergate complex, D.C. police officers first confronted burglars carrying eavesdropping devices. Awakened early that morning by a call from a D.C. policeman and informed that his offices had been burglarized, Greigg asked, "did you catch the kids?" The officer responded, "no, sir, these men we arrested were in business suits." Greigg called the DNC Director, Lawrence O'Brien
, and told him that "all hell had broken loose." Later that morning Greigg signed the original criminal complaint. That complaint led to a series of investigations that culminated in the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon. Ironically, the Watergate scandal also ended the congressional career of the man who defeated Greigg in 1966, Wiley Mayne
. While serving as a member of the House Judiciary Committee in 1974 during its consideration of articles of impeachment of Richard Nixon, Mayne voted against the articles, changing his position only later, after the most damning evidence emerged. That year Mayne lost his bid for re-election, in an outcome attributed to his votes against impeachment.
In July 1972, Greigg moved from his party position to a similar role in the 1972 presidential campaign of George McGovern. He also served as director of the Lawrence F. O'Brien Center at Dag Hammarskjold College in 1972.
and ultimately becoming the director of its Office of Intergovernmental Relations. Greigg served with the CBO from 1975 to 1998.
. At the time of his death, he was serving as vice president of the metropolitan Washington synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery
.
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. He was elected to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Republican Charles B. Hoeven
Charles B. Hoeven
Charles Bernard Hoeven held elective office for forty consecutive years. He was elected or re-elected eleven times to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent districts in northern Iowa...
in 1964 but lost to Republican Wiley Mayne
Wiley Mayne
Wiley Mayne was a four-term Republican United States Congressman from Iowa's 6th congressional district. He was one of several Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee who were defeated in the fall of 1974 after voting against resolutions to impeach President Richard M...
two years later in 1966. Several years later, he was one of the victims of the Watergate break-in
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
.
Personal background
Greigg was born in Ireton, IowaIreton, Iowa
Ireton is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, United States. The population was 585 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was founded in 1882 as a 12 block lay out. The location was picked around the water stop of a railroad. It was a part of a larger series of settlements of Englishmen in Northwest Iowa...
, and spent his earliest years there and in nearby Hawarden, Iowa
Hawarden, Iowa
Hawarden is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,478 at the 2000 census. It is located on the Big Sioux River.-Geography:Hawarden is located at , along the Big Sioux River....
, where his parents were involved in the restaurant business. The family moved to Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
and operated a restaurant there. After his father died in 1942, he needed to play a larger role in assisting his mother in running the restaurant. He continued to do so before and after his graduation from Sioux City East High School.
He received his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
at Morningside College
Morningside College
Morningside College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside College is a private, four-year, co-educational liberal arts institution. Morningside has 21 buildings on a ...
in Sioux City in 1954, then spent two years at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in graduate work in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from 1957 to 1959. He returned to Sioux City to serve as the Dean of Men of Morningside College
Morningside College
Morningside College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside College is a private, four-year, co-educational liberal arts institution. Morningside has 21 buildings on a ...
, where he also taught speech and history courses. He was elected to the city council of Sioux City in 1961, becoming the city's youngest elected councilman and biggest council vote-getter in its history. In January 1964, at age 33, he was then elected as the mayor of Sioux City.
His term in Congress
In 1964, as part of a Democratic landslide, Greigg was elected to represent Iowa's 6th congressional districtIowa's 6th congressional district
Iowa's 6th congressional district is a former congressional district in Iowa. It existed from 1862 to 1992, when it was lost due to Iowa's declining population....
in the U.S. House of Representatives. defeating Republican Howard N. Sokol by over 10,000 votes. Longtime Republican Congressman Charles B. Hoeven had held the position 22 years, and his retirement had "created a political vacuum and a bitter Republican party fight," to Greigg's benefit. One of Greigg's top priorities in his campaign was to expand government assistance programs for very small businesses. Like many other freshman Democrats elected in 1964 in Republican-leaning districts, Greigg served only one term. In 1966, his re-election bid was thwarted by Sioux City attorney Wiley Mayne, who defeated Greigg by nearly 20,000 votes.
1967-1968
Greigg served as director of the United States Post Office Department's Office of Regional Administration from 1967 to 1969. While holding that position, Greigg's name again surfaced in Iowa in the summer of 1968, when the leading candidate in the Democratic primary race for his former seat withdrew without explanation on the eve of the district convention. However, Griegg was hesitant to jump into the race, and his party's support went to his former legislative aide, Jerry O'Sullivan, who won the nomination but lost to Mayne in a landslide.The Watergate break-in
Greigg served as the deputy chairman of the Democratic National CommitteeDemocratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
from 1970 to July 1972. It was in that position that Greigg found himself at the genesis of the Watergate scandal in the early morning hours of June 17, 1972. In the office of Greigg's personal secretary, in DNC headquarters at the Watergate complex, D.C. police officers first confronted burglars carrying eavesdropping devices. Awakened early that morning by a call from a D.C. policeman and informed that his offices had been burglarized, Greigg asked, "did you catch the kids?" The officer responded, "no, sir, these men we arrested were in business suits." Greigg called the DNC Director, Lawrence O'Brien
Lawrence O'Brien
Lawrence David O'Brien was a Canadian politician.O’Brien represented Labrador in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal from 1996 until his death in 2004...
, and told him that "all hell had broken loose." Later that morning Greigg signed the original criminal complaint. That complaint led to a series of investigations that culminated in the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon. Ironically, the Watergate scandal also ended the congressional career of the man who defeated Greigg in 1966, Wiley Mayne
Wiley Mayne
Wiley Mayne was a four-term Republican United States Congressman from Iowa's 6th congressional district. He was one of several Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee who were defeated in the fall of 1974 after voting against resolutions to impeach President Richard M...
. While serving as a member of the House Judiciary Committee in 1974 during its consideration of articles of impeachment of Richard Nixon, Mayne voted against the articles, changing his position only later, after the most damning evidence emerged. That year Mayne lost his bid for re-election, in an outcome attributed to his votes against impeachment.
In July 1972, Greigg moved from his party position to a similar role in the 1972 presidential campaign of George McGovern. He also served as director of the Lawrence F. O'Brien Center at Dag Hammarskjold College in 1972.
Congressional Budget Office
He then returned to Capitol Hill in an appointed, not elected, position, serving in the Congressional Budget OfficeCongressional Budget Office
The Congressional Budget Office is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides economic data to Congress....
and ultimately becoming the director of its Office of Intergovernmental Relations. Greigg served with the CBO from 1975 to 1998.
Death
Greigg died on June 13, 2002, in Salem, VirginiaSalem, Virginia
Salem is an independent city in Virginia, USA, bordered by the city of Roanoke to the east but otherwise adjacent to Roanoke County. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,802 according to 2010 U.S. Census...
. At the time of his death, he was serving as vice president of the metropolitan Washington synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.