United States presidential line of succession 1973, at the height of Watergate, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned. With Agnew's unexpected departure, and the state of Richard Nixon's presidency, Speaker of the House Carl Albert was suddenly first in line to become acting president. The vacancy continued until Gerald Ford was sworn in as vice president on December 6, 1973. Albert was also next in line from the time Ford assumed the presidency on August 9, 1974, following Nixon's resignation from office, until Ford's choice to succeed him as vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, was confirmed by Congress four months later. The vice presidency has been vacant on
Carl Albert House Judiciary Committee for debate and study. Also in 1973 Albert appointed Felda Looper as the first female page in the House of Representatives. In 1973, during Albert's second term as Speaker and Nixon's second term as president, Vice President Spiro Agnew was investigated for tax evasion and money laundering for a series of bribes he took while he was Governor of Maryland. Agnew resigned as Vice President and eventually pleaded "nolo contendere" to the charges. This event put Albert next in line to assume the presidential powers and duties, should that office become vacant. Under the provisions of the