Watching the ceremonies for Sen. Kennedy this afternoon, I was reminded of a story I had almost forgotten about my almost-brush with Ted Kennedy. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago about my friend Sandy and I traveling back to New York and then to Washington D.C. for the National Collegiate Broadcasting Convention.
Our first day in Washington, we took a cab up to the Senate Office Building. This was Spring 1969, and at the time, Washignton State had two very powerful Senators, Henry Jackson and Warren Magnusson. Now this was at the time that anit-war protests on college campsues were going on full force; but Sandy and I were both clean-cut and we were both dressed in suits. So, when we got to the Senate Building, we went first to Senator Magnusson's office. We had written to both Senators six weeks before our trip asking if we could have a few moments of their time for an interview. We were told to check when we arrived. Senator Magnusson's staff was nice but brisk when they told us their was no way in Hell that the Senator could see us. Senator Jackson's staff was downright rude, and actually laughed at us when we asked if we could arrange a meeting.
As were dejectedly walked down the Hall, I noticed a nameplate on one of the doors, so I turned around and headed into the office of Senator Ted Kennedy. The very sweet receptionist asked what she could do for us; and I explained that we were college journalists from Washington State and we wondered if there was any chance we could meet with Senator Kennedy. The receptionist was very apologetic that the Senator was behind closed doors preparing for an important speech he was giving at the U.N. that evening (the speech was to ask the U.N. to admit Red China to their ranks). For the next half hour the staff did everything possible to try and fit Senator Kennedy's schedule with our convention schedule. It was was just impossible, but they tried so hard to help us, even though our own state senators couldn't have cared less.
On the last morning in Washington we went over to the visitor's gallery of the Seante. Every important Senator (including our unavailable senators) was present because it had just been announced that morning that one of the truly loved Senators had been diagnosed with terminal cancer (don't remember who). We, at least, got to see and hear Senator Kennedy address the Senate, as well as several other Senators speak.
