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Agnew stoutly maintains that he is for both equality and betterment of the Negro's lot, even while he takes a harsh view of trouble in the streets. In fact, his attitude is similar to that of many first-and second-generation Americans who had to work hard for a living. Many urban programs seem to them a giveaway to the lazy, something-for-nothing. Agnew's father, a Baltimore restaurateur (the Piccadilly and the Brighton) went broke during the Depression and had to sell vegetables from the back of a truck. While many were surprised at Agnew's unyielding stance on civil disorders in April, some tip-off might have come a few weeks earlier when more than 200 students from Bowie State College, a dilapidated, predominantly Negro institution near Washington, came to Annapolis to petition for better facilities. The Governor not only refused to see them but had them arrested, ordering the school closed as well. He could not, he said, bow to pressure. Later he saw student leaders.
Nixon said he was looking for someone with whom he is "simpático," and Agnew, who comes from a similar background, should fit his definition on several counts. He agrees with Nixon on most domestic issues, criticizing many federal spending programs. Like Nixon —until recently—he has also in the past voiced "100% support" for the present war policy and expressed skepticism about improved relations with the Communist world. He will meet Nixon's demand for a hard-working campaigner. Nixon thought Henry Cabot Lodge was not energetic enough in 1960. The Marylander's credentials as a potential President and an expert on urban affairs—two of Nixon's other stated criteria in making his choice—are less convincing. He has no background at all in foreign affairs and little experience in city problems, which Nixon has said would be a prime concern of his Vice President. Baltimore County, which Agnew governed until 1966, has few of the problems of the big cities. The minuscule Negro population (2.6%) has actually decreased in recent years.
A tall, heavy-set man (6 ft. 2 in., 192 lbs.), whose grooming has won him the accolade of the Men's Hairstylist & Barber's Journal, "Ted" Agnew should be a reasonably attractive campaigner. Born and raised in Baltimore, he attended public schools, then went on to Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University, where he studied chemistry. His college education was interrupted by World War II, and he served in the Army in Europe, ending up as a company commander in the 10th Armored Division. After the war, he turned to the law, earning his degree at night from the University of Baltimore in 1947. Shortly after, on the urging of a senior partner in his law firm, he changed his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican.