I have twice met Governor George Wallace. On the occasion of our second meeting, he did something I have never forgotten.
My first job right out of college was Assistant Manager of a small city chamber of commerce in south Alabama. It wasn't planned, or even given much thought. It just happened because I needed a job and a friend who happened to be the executive of the Tallahassee chamber turned me on to it.
Concurrent with my chamber duties, I was also the executive director of a large agricultural festival held each October. It was peanut country and the harvest was something to celebrate.
I say it was a large festival because, it was a large festival. Attracting around 100,000 paid admissions, big parade with floats, televised beauty pageant, national entertainers and a terrific carnival midway. Many good tales came out of that experience which I will share as we go along, but tonight, I want to talk about George Wallace and his amazing ability.
Governor Wallace came to town to be the Grand Marshall of our parade. This would have been around '71 or so and he had already made two or three runs at President and was "famous." As all governors do, he arrived with a retinue of followers and body guards and of course, local officialdom all turned out to greet him. The festival threw a luncheon and I, being the Executive Director, got to meet him and even sat at the head table. At the far end of the head table. Almost off of the head table altogether. I emphasize this because it illustrates that basically, I was nobody.
Governor Wallace was very cordial and took the time to speak personally with everyone who approached him. The people of Alabama loved him. Not because of his segregationist policies or because he stood up to the "Yankees", but because he was a damned good governor and ran a tight ship. Alabama prospered under George Wallace.
About two years later, the citizens of our county got into a pissing match with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and resolved to go to Washington to settle the issue. Gov. Wallace offered us his airplane for the trip, a modest turbo-prop that seated about a dozen people. We all piled into a couple of cars and drove up to Montgomery where we were to meet the plane.
Governor Wallace invited us all to his office to see us off and to tell us that he had arranged for a meeting in Washington with our congressman, both Alabama U.S. Senators and the commanding general of the Corps of Engineers. (The man could get things done.)
Before we left, he personally approached each person in our delegation, shook their hand, and chatted with those he knew, which was everyone but me. When he got to me I took his hand and started to introduce myself but he stopped me. He held up his finger, thought for a moment, smiled, looked me in the eye and said, "Charleston, right?"
Now I don't know about you, but I can be introduced to someone and forget their name within thirty seconds. How he remembered mine, or even me for that matter, I'll never know, but it darn sure impressed me.
There is no better compliment you can pay a person than to remember their name and it's something I have tried to learn my entire life, with little success. That day, Governor George Wallace made me feel like a million bucks. That's a talent you have to admire.
I ran across this video and thought you might enjoy it.
Things ain't changed all that much Miss Daisey.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Mr. C and Governor Wallace
I have twice met Governor George Wallace. On the occasion of our second meeting, he did something I have never forgotten.
My first job right out of college was Assistant Manager of a small city chamber of commerce in south Alabama. It wasn't planned, or even given much thought. It just happened because I needed a job and a friend who happened to be the executive of the Tallahassee chamber turned me on to it.
Concurrent with my chamber duties, I was also the executive director of a large agricultural festival held each October. It was peanut country and the harvest was something to celebrate.
I say it was a large festival because, it was a large festival. Attracting around 100,000 paid admissions, big parade with floats, televised beauty pageant, national entertainers and a terrific carnival midway. Many good tales came out of that experience which I will share as we go along, but tonight, I want to talk about George Wallace and his amazing ability.
Governor Wallace came to town to be the Grand Marshall of our parade. This would have been around '71 or so and he had already made two or three runs at President and was "famous." As all governors do, he arrived with a retinue of followers and body guards and of course, local officialdom all turned out to greet him. The festival threw a luncheon and I, being the Executive Director, got to meet him and even sat at the head table. At the far end of the head table. Almost off of the head table altogether. I emphasize this because it illustrates that basically, I was nobody.
Governor Wallace was very cordial and took the time to speak personally with everyone who approached him. The people of Alabama loved him. Not because of his segregationist policies or because he stood up to the "Yankees", but because he was a damned good governor and ran a tight ship. Alabama prospered under George Wallace.
About two years later, the citizens of our county got into a pissing match with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and resolved to go to Washington to settle the issue. Gov. Wallace offered us his airplane for the trip, a modest turbo-prop that seated about a dozen people. We all piled into a couple of cars and drove up to Montgomery where we were to meet the plane.
Governor Wallace invited us all to his office to see us off and to tell us that he had arranged for a meeting in Washington with our congressman, both Alabama U.S. Senators and the commanding general of the Corps of Engineers. (The man could get things done.)
Before we left, he personally approached each person in our delegation, shook their hand, and chatted with those he knew, which was everyone but me. When he got to me I took his hand and started to introduce myself but he stopped me. He held up his finger, thought for a moment, smiled, looked me in the eye and said, "Charleston, right?"
Now I don't know about you, but I can be introduced to someone and forget their name within thirty seconds. How he remembered mine, or even me for that matter, I'll never know, but it darn sure impressed me.
There is no better compliment you can pay a person than to remember their name and it's something I have tried to learn my entire life, with little success. That day, Governor George Wallace made me feel like a million bucks. That's a talent you have to admire.
I ran across this video and thought you might enjoy it.
Things ain't changed all that much Miss Daisey.
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...And Bill Clinton was at the table too! The similarities is stunning in that picture.
ReplyDeleteI remember the Wallace campaign in '68 and how flush my mother felt when she got Hubert Humphry's autograph. The only one she ever got from any *star*
Pretty cool video, just goes to show that some in that generation actually were trying to stop the madness that came to be.
If I remember correctly Wallace actually near carried MI as a third party candidate.
The thing about the photo that really interests me is that it is George HW Bush he's shaking hands with. I can't figure out what the occasion would have been. Surely both Clinton and Bush are too young in the photo for it to have been their presidential campaigns. ???
ReplyDeleteCorrection... it "appears to be" Geo. HW Bush.
ReplyDeleteI’m afraid I don’t know who Governor Wallace is, but I do know you have the advantage of me: I can usually only remember a person’s name for about ten seconds after being introduced to them.
ReplyDeleteSimon... Wallace became famous for standing in the doorway of the University of Alabama in 1963, blocking the admission of black students. He was a paradoxical figure in American history... a segregationist who constantly garnered the majority of black votes when he ran for office.
ReplyDeleteIt just occurred to me that some may think the photo was taken at the luncheon mentioned in the article. Not so. Got the photo off of Google. No idea what the occasion was. My lunch with Wallace was before he was wheelchair bound.
ReplyDeleteNow you have me thinking about the photo? WTF? Clinton and Bush together before either was given the WH?? Photoshopped?
ReplyDeleteFound photo. Here's caption:
ReplyDeleteWallace and his third wife, the former Lisa Taylor, meet with Vice President George Bush and Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton at a lobster bake at Bush's residence at Kennebunkport, Maine, July 30, 1983.
that is seriously fucked up.
ReplyDeleteProbably some kind of deal where all the governors were invited to a cookout so as to push the administration's agenda on something or other. Pretty good insight into back-room politics, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThis kind of thing happens on all levels of government, in spite of sunshine laws, etc. I'm not sure it's all bad that legislators and leaders work out solutions and working relationships in an informal setting. The trick is keeping tabs on it.
So if you look at the picture - The wife reminds me of Tammy Faye Baker but you know that's the women of the south back then.
ReplyDeleteBill Clinton looks like he's scoping the crowd for women which I have to admit after having met him, he is hot.
George Wallace and George HW are just doing a photo op.
Is this the banner for the day because of this post? Is the banner now a new pic for each post?
I'd say you nailed them Peach. Clinton looks like a party boy if there ever was one. As to Tammy Faye... I believe George ditched her for another one before it was all over.
ReplyDeleteYes, banner de jur. I'm a little surprised that no one's registered righteous indignation about the flag. I thought for sure it would cause a flap.