I've Heard a Lot About You, Too!

Dear Boo and Bubble,

                                               

Captain and your cousin Frank Bryant were talking a little history the other day – specifically about the year 1968 and the political conventions that year to nominate candidates for U.S. President.  Frank was in Israel at the time.  Captain actually went to the Democratic Convention as a page where Hubert Humphrey secured the nomination to run against Republican Richard Nixon, an election he ultimately lost.

The conversation narrowed to a discussion of the possible reasons for his unsuccessful campaign and then to Humphrey himself.  He had a storied political career as a Senator from Minnesota and rose to national prominence at the 1948 Democratic Convention where his advocacy for civil rights caused a revolt of many Southern states away from the party and to the Dixiecrats.  Your great, great grandmother Lucille Tally was a delegate from Florida that year and I wrote about it in an earlier blog (see November, 2012 – “A Steel Magnolia in The Family”).

In 1965, Humphrey was elected Vice President of the U.S. when Lyndon Johnson won the Presidency.   Two years later, I had occasion to meet him and it was an occurrence I will never forget.

Olin DeWitt Talmadge Johnston, represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate from 1945 until his death in 1965.  He served as Governor twice and was a dynamic force in state politics from Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” era to Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty”. By the spring of 1967, community organizers had completed work on a memorial to Johnston and Vice President Humphrey was invited to keynote the ceremony at the dedication.

At the time, I was S.C. Peach Queen and someone on the steering committee thought it would be a nice touch to include me in the welcoming entourage in order to give the Vice President some peaches.  I readily accepted.  He was to land at the downtown Greenville Airport and Mamaw Mary volunteered to go along in the hopes that she might get to meet Humphrey, whom she had admired over the years.   

The day came and as we approached the airport, Mamaw said “Beth, if I could just shake his hand, I would be thrilled.”

“Okay, mom, I’ll see what I can do.”

When we arrived, secret service greeted me and immediately whisked away my basket of peaches.  They reassured me that, upon passing inspection, my peaches and I would be reunited on the tarmac.  I walked Mamaw over to a railing set up for spectators – waist high for viewing, but far enough away to keep them from getting too close – and settled her right on the front. I then went through the terminal and came out onto the tarmac to assemble with the dignitaries in the greeting party.

Humphrey’s plane touched down on the runway and someone responsible for organizing us called out names for forming a line.  There were fifteen or so people in the queue with me fortuitously being at the end.  The plane rolled to a stop and ground crew pushed stairs out to it and under the door which soon opened.  There stood the Vice President. 

As he came down the stairs, everybody in the greeting line jockeyed for a better look.  The first of the fifteen could stand straight, but everybody beyond that had to lean forward a little.  By the time it got to me, I and my basket of peaches were bent over double.

Humphrey made his way down the line, shaking hands and chatting with each person.  Finally, he came to me.

“Hello, Mr. Vice President,” I said, “my name is Beth Kendrick.”

“I know,” he responded, his eyes bright and direct, “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

This comment took me so by surprise, I was stunned for a second.  The only thing I could come up with in return was –

“Well, I’ve heard a lot about you, too!”

He threw his head back and laughed.

And then I said, “Mr. Humphrey, my mother is standing right over there at the rail, and she told me she would die a happy woman if she could just shake your hand.”

Without hesitation, he said, “Well, let’s go then!”

I hooked my arm in his and the two of us made our way over to the rail. 

This deviation from the prescribed itinerary prompted the Secret Service to jump out from behind everywhere.  Humphrey was undaunted.  He loved getting with the people and Mamaw not only got a handshake but also a kiss on the cheek.

I have a framed picture somewhere packed away that he sent me commemorating the event.  A letter accompanied it remarking how nice it was to meet me and how he had enjoyed the peaches.  When I find it, we’ll look at it together.  It’s very rare to meet a Vice President……even rarer to meet a Vice President Humphrey.