Lawrence Hogan Sr., father of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and a former congressman, died Thursday night, according to a Facebook post from the governor. He was 88.
Hogan died at Anne Arundel Medical Center due to complications from a stroke he suffered on Saturday, according to a governor spokesman.
“At 10:24 tonight, an American hero, and the man that I am most proud of, passed away,” the governor wrote on Facebook Thursday. “He had an amazing life that spanned 88 years. He leaves behind a loving family, countless friends and admirers and a lasting legacy that won’t be forgotten.”
The late congressman, who once taught courses at the University of Maryland’s journalism school, served three terms in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1975 and one term as the Prince George’s County executive.
“He was a strong leader of moral integrity, and a family man who served as a role model for a generation of public servants in Prince George’s County and throughout the country,” said Maryland Senate President Mike Miller. “He will be sorely missed. “
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Hogan Sr. was born in Boston and grew up in Washington D.C., and he earned his bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy — as well as his law degree — from Georgetown University, according to The Baltimore Sun.
As a college student, the former congressman worked for the Washington Times-Herald, and he later became a special agent for the FBI in 1948, still while completing his degree. In 1965, he earned a master’s degree in public relations from American University.
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Former Maryland Sen. Julian Lapides said Gov. Hogan and his father shared a similar trait: the ability to appeal to both sides of the political spectrum. A Republican governor in a deeply Democratic state, the governor had a 63 percent approval rating at the end of February, according to a Goucher poll.
“[Hogan Sr.] was a vote-getter and a popular candidate,” Lapides told The Baltimore Sun. “He crossed over party lines and appealed to both Democrats and Republicans, something both he and his son have in common.”
Hogan Sr. was the first Republican on the House Judiciary Committee to openly call for President Nixon’s impeachment in 1974, after previously supporting him. Nixon later resigned from office in August of that same year.
“I lost a lot of friends, supporters and contributions,” he said in a 2015 interview on WYPR radio. “Many Republicans were very unforgiving at that time.”
It was his decision to favor Nixon’s impeachment that helped cause a loss in the 1974 Republican gubernatorial primary, one month after the former president’s resignation, according to The Washington Post.
In the 2016 presidential election, Gov. Hogan wrote his father’s name on the ballot and said he refused to support Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton in their presidential bids.
