Guess the person!

Thread Games
1

In 1957, a ship was named after Edmund Fitzgerald (made famous in song by Gordon Lightfoot) , who was then CEO of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance company of Milwaukee (it’s still one of the largest employers in the city). The company had decided to invest in mining, and thought it appropriate to have a ship to transport the minerals.

The naming of the ship was the first of many problems with the vessel. Much to his dismay, the Board of Directors unanimously voted to name it after the reluctant CEO. He accepted, and eventually at the launching, he sent his wife to perform the ceremonies. Unfortunately - it took three tries for the traditional bottle of Champagne to break. Then - as the ship slipped into the water - it created such a wave that it soaked most of the estimated 15,000 spectators. To make things worse - the ship then crashed into a nearby pier.

However - over the next couple of decades - the ship sailed over a million miles.

Who was the ship named after (spoilered at the beginning of the post)? He died in 2013.
(please spoiler your answer)

2

this one was a gimmee for me as NW life is a local company and i’ve been watching the doings of working boats in this region since the 1960’s.

3

Sometime after midnight on Saturday, June 17, 1972, Watergate Complex security guard XXXXX XXXXX noticed tape covering the latches on some of the complex’s doors leading from the underground parking garage to several offices, which allowed the doors to close but stay unlocked. He removed the tape, believing it was nothing. When he returned a short time later and discovered that someone had retaped the locks, he called the police.

This led to 69 indictments and 48 convictions of President Nixon’ s henchmen and others, and to Nixon’s resignation.

Who was the unsung “hero” of this scandal?