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Biography
Edmund Sixtus Muskie (1914–1996) was born in Rumford, Maine. He graduated from Bates College and Cornell University and practiced law before serving in World War II. After holding a series of local offices, Muskie was elected to the Maine House of Representatives for three terms before becoming the governor in 1955. In 1958 Muskie was elected to the U.S. Senate, serving until 1980, when President Jimmy Carter asked him to be secretary of state following the resignation of Cyrus Vance.
As secretary, Muskie conducted the first high-level meeting with the Soviet government after its December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan. He also assisted President Carter in implementing the “Carter Doctrine,” which aimed to limit Soviet expansion into the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Finally, under Muskie’s leadership, the State Department negotiated on behalf of the American hostages still held in Tehran. Minutes after Ronald Reagan took the Oath of Office as president, they were released.
Following the end of the Carter administration, Muskie practiced law in Washington, D.C.