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November 19, 1975 - Modesto, California, U.S. - US Senator SAM ERVIN speaker series sponsored by Modesto Junior College and The Modesto Bee. Ervin during a press conference prior to speaking to a full MJC Auditorium. Samuel James 'Sam' Ervin Jr. was a Democratic Senator from North Carolina from 1954 until 1974. A native of Morganton, Burke County, North Carolina, he called himself a 'country lawyer.' Ervin initially defended the Jim Crow laws and racial segregation, but eventually changed to a supporter of civil liberties. He is remembered for his work in the investigation committees that brought down Senator J. McCarthy in 1954 and especially his investigation in 1972 of the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation in 1974 of President Nixon.