Jack Remembers -- Governor Hearnes' Inauguration

Governor Warren Hearnes’ Inauguration in 1965 mirrored a national Presidential Inauguration. It was the most elaborate and colorful the state had ever seen or would see in the future.




Hearnes had challenged the establishment who had controlled the Governor’s office for years and when he won the election, suddenly the outsiders in state government were the insiders and we wanted everyone to know it. Hearnes appointed at least two Honorary Colonels from every county. We were fitted and paid $180.00, which was a lot of money back then, for our uniform. It was quite an honor. (To see mine, log on to the Bio section of www.jackremembers.com)



I was able to hobnob with other Colonels including Pat Jones, owner of an insurance company who confided in me he was worried about what his son was going to do when he graduated from college that spring. His son, Jerry, now owns the Dallas Cowboys. Honorary Colonel Bill McCaskill, who would be the new Insurance Commissioner, had an eleven year old daughter that is now a U.S. Senator.



The Colonels led the parade through Jefferson City, the Governor was sworn in at high noon, then there were three Inaugural Balls that night. The one in the Rotunda of the Capitol was where the Colonels with their ladies promenaded down the spiral staircase in front of the state officials who besides Warren and Betty included Tom Eagleton, Lt. Governor, Jim Kirkpatrick, Secretary of State, Haskel Holman, State Auditor, Mount Etna Morris, State Treasurer, and Norman Anderson, Attorney General.



The Colonels’ job was to participate in events during the Governor’s term in office. One day I received a letter wanting money for my share of the official painted portrait of the First Lady that would hang in the mansion. Woah! How much of this honor of being an Honorary Colonel can I afford?



Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075, or jackremembers@aol.com. Visit www.jackremembers.com

Jack Remembers: Down the Tubes

In 1968, Warren Hearnes was running for his second term as Governor. William “Bill” Morris was his Lt. Governor running mate. The state was solid Democrat so they for sure were going to win. Hubert Humphrey was one of the candidates for President, and so was Bobby Kennedy. The deals started flying at our state convention. If our delegates would select Humphrey over Kennedy, which we did, and if Humphrey won the Presidency, he would name Warren Hearnes the Secretary of Education. Hearnes had done more for education in Missouri than any Governor in the state’s history. He had changed the state formula and funneled money into higher education. The University even named an auditorium after him. Humphrey also promised Delton Houchins, an attorney from Clinton who was State Chairman of the Democratic Party that he would name him Chairman of the National Democratic Party.
I was Bill Morris’ campaign co-ordinator and used this scenario, that when Humphrey appointed Hearnes Secretary of Education as Lt. Governor, Morris would be our next Governor. This made it a lot easier to get support for Morris and raise money for his campaign. Hearnes and Morris had no problem winning as Governor and Lt. Governor in November. There was just one problem. Hubert Humphrey and Edmond Muskey lost the race for President and Vice President to Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew.
To make matters worse for the Missouri Democrats, and to show how the best laid plans can go haywire, Humphrey lost to Nixon in this state, which at that time was solid Democrat, by almost exactly 20,000 votes. The reason Humphrey lost was all the rednecks and union construction workers who normally vote Democrat all voted for the third party candidate, George Wallace, who received 200,000 votes.
Humphrey who was still head of the Democratic Party refused to appoint Houchins as National Chairman. All the Missouri Democrats’ big plans went down the tube because the voters had the last say.
Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com

Jack Remembers: Governor Warren Hearnes

I’ve been a student of state government for over fifty years, and truly believe Warren Hearnes was the best Governor Missouri has ever had. Warren was a West Point graduate, Lieutenant in the Infantry, State Representative, Speaker of the House, and Secretary of State before becoming Governor. He got the constitution amended so a Governor could serve two terms, and he was the first to do so.

One reason he was so popular was because of his family. His wife Betty had a fabulous voice, sang in the church choir, and was always asked to sing the National Anthem at different events. They had three daughters, Lynn, Leigh, and Julie B.

I became friends with Warren when he was Secretary of State and met with him several times during his first campaign for Governor in 1964. After he was elected, he appointed me one of his many “honorary Colonels” on his staff. Consequently, I had several occasions to be in the Governor’s Mansion when he first took office, and it was a disaster. Governor Blair said it was rat-infested and refused to live in it. The legislature at one time discussed tearing it down.

A few years ago, Betty wrote a book and told about renovating the Mansion and opening it up to the public. She also told how her three daughters struggled to lead a normal life since they lived in the Mansion, and their father was Governor. Leigh would have their chauffeur let her out a couple of blocks before they got to school, so the other kids wouldn’t see her being driven to school in a black limousine. When Julie B.’s first grade class toured the Mansion, she blended in with the other students and when they lined up to thank the First Lady for showing them the Mansion, she said to her mother, “Thank you for showing us your house.”

Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com