Thomas F. Eagleton was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 4, 1929. After graduating from St. Louis Country Day School, he enlisted in the United States Navy for two years. He graduated from Amherst College in 1950 and from Harvard Law School in 1953. He was elected circuit attorney for St. Louis in 1956, Missouri Attorney General in 1960, and Missouri Lieutenant Governor in 1964. He served as a United States Senator from Missouri from 1968 until 1987. Afterwards, he returned to St. Louis and worked as an attorney, political commentator, and professor at Washington University in St. Louis, where he taught public affairs. He died from heart and respiratory complications on March 4, 2007.