Edmund Muskie

Edmund Sixtus Muskie (Edmund Marciszewski) (March 28, 1914–March 26, 1996) was a Polish-American politician from Maine. He served as Governor of Maine, as a U.S. Senator, as U.S. Secretary of State, and as a candidate for Vice President of the United States.

Secretary of State

Following the resignation of Cyrus Vance in 1980, Muskie left the senate to succeed the latter as Secretary of State in the cabinet of Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Muskie took over at a difficult time; Vance had left following Carter's contentious decision to secretly attempt to rescue American hostages being held in Iran. Muskie attempted to bring the hostages home by diplomatic appeals to the United Nations and Iran. Ultimately, however, the Iran Hostage Crisis cost Carter the general election of 1980 and thus Muskie was returned to private life alongside him. Before he left office, however, Carter did grant his Secretary of State the honour of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on January 16 1981.

Related Topics:
Cyrus Vance - 1980 - Jimmy Carter - United Nations - Iran Hostage Crisis - Presidential Medal of Freedom - January 16 - 1981

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