It's better late than never for Spiro T. Agnew, the former Maryland governor who resigned the vice presidency in disgrace.
Mr. Agnew's portrait, relegated for years to a storage room, is moving to a place of honor -- courtesy of Gov. Parris N. Glendening.
The governor said yesterday that he wants Mr. Agnew's visage to hang with those of other past governors in the State House Reception Room.
"I think warts and all, a person who serves ought to be there. People can look at it if they want and say, 'This was a disgrace,' but he was governor," said Mr. Glendening, a Democrat and political science professor.
"And we sometimes learn as much, if you will, from mistakes and problems -- even if they become national scandals -- as we do from great programs."
The portrait could serve an educational purpose, he said -- "if only to have school kids come in and tell them, 'Don't do that.' "
Mr. Glendening said he would recommend the change to the State House Trust, the panel that oversees the building. But an employee and a member of the trust both said they believed the governor can order the move himself.
Mr. Agnew, now 76, resigned the vice presidency of the United States almost 22 years ago under pressure from federal prosecutors probing kickback allegations against him.
The Republican pleaded no contest to one count of federal income tax evasion.
Harry R. Hughes, governor from 1979 to 1987, had Mr. Agnew's $2,000 portrait removed.
But Mr. Agnew, along with former Gov. Marvin Mandel, has benefited from a recent interest in historical accuracy in the commemoration of politicians.
The portrait of Mr. Mandel was hung in the State House in 1993, more than a dozen years after he left office. Mr. Mandel was convicted, imprisoned, pardoned and legally exonerated of mail fraud and racketeering.
The loser in the portrait shuffle is Frank Brown, governor from 1892 to 1896, whose portrait would be removed to make room for Mr. Agnew.
Traditionally, the portraits are rotated around the Reception Room so that the oldest one is removed when the newest one is added.