Calverts

The Calverts were a family with great political influence in the United States and all around the world before the Great War.

Background
According to Desmond Lockheart, the family owned half of Maryland and practically "owned a deed to the US government". At the height of its power, the family had three senators, seven members of the House of Representatives, and two state governors in its ranks. It even sported a front-runner for the office of President until "that scandal with the dog" put him out of contention. Desmond was apparently involved in the discovery or manufacture of this scandal as he states he's "particularly proud of that one."

Another member of the family was Professor Calvert, Desmond's nemesis and an accredited expert in cognitive robotics. Transferred to the St. Aubin medical facility by his brother, Senator Calvert, he managed to survive the Great War by extracting his brain from his body.

Behind the scenes
The in-game family was inspired by, or is a direct allusion to, the real-life Calvert family, which owned the royal charter to Maryland from the founding of the colony until the Revolutionary War.