Background
Flowers, Walter was born on April 12, 1933 in Greenville, Alabama, United States. Son of Walter W. and Ruth (Swaim) Flowers.
United States representative lawyer politician
Flowers, Walter was born on April 12, 1933 in Greenville, Alabama, United States. Son of Walter W. and Ruth (Swaim) Flowers.
A native of Greenville, Alabama in Butler County, Walter Flowers attended public schools in Tuscaloosa and entered the University of Alabama where he earned degrees in 1955 and 1957.
In 1957-1958, Flowers continued his graduate studies in international law as a fellow at the University of London. He held a commission as a Reserve Lieutenant Officer in the United States Army in Military Intelligence and practiced law in Alabama before his election to the United States Congress. On November 5, 1968, Walter Flowers was elected to the first of five successive terms in the United States. House of Representatives.
In 1978 he sought the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate, but lost the primary to Howell Heflin who went on to serve three terms.
Flowers did not seek political office again but retired from politics to McLean, Virginia, where he died on his fifty-first birthday. Burial was at Arlington National Cemetery.
Role in Watergate hearings
Flowers served on the House Judiciary Committee which voted to refer articles of impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon to the full House of Representatives in 1974. Flowers, a conservative Democrat, was considered to be leaning against the impeachment vote.
After a long struggle which caused an ulcer to recur, Flowers voted for impeachment.
The congressman said "I felt that if we didn"t impeach, we"d just ingrain and stamp in our highest office a standard of conduct that"s just unacceptable." Coming from a state which had supported Nixon in 1972, he was seen as influential even with some Republicans. He told the undecided Republicans on the committee, "This is something we just cannot walk away from. lieutenant happened, and now we"ve got to deal with lieutenant
George Wallace
Flowers was influenced by former Alabama Governor George C. Wallace during his political career.
Wallace said that during the Watergate hearings he tried to shield Flowers from increased pressure by refusing to forward a request, from Nixon, that he vote against impeachment. Flowers campaigned for Wallace and served as his national campaign chairman during Wallace"s 1972 run for president
Quotations: "I felt that if we didn"t impeach, we"d just ingrain and stamp in our highest office a standard of conduct that"s just unacceptable.".
Served to First lieutenant United States Army Reserve, 1958-1959. Member American Bar Association, Mississippi Bar Association, Alabama Bar Association, District of Columbia Bar Association Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, Jasons Society, Phi Delta Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Lodge: Rotary.
Married Beverly Burns. Children: Vivian Victoria, Walter Winkler III, Victor Woodley.