Shaking Hands With the Candidate

I’d like to share with your readers my personal interaction with the illustrious Adlai Stevenson 1922, featured in your October issue. I was just over 11 years old when my father and I went to hear him speak during his second campaign against Ike on a fall evening in 1956 at the University of Virginia’s Memorial Gym. My dad encouraged me to go up afterwards and say, “I want to shake hands with the next president of the United States.” I dutifully waited in line, delivered my little speech, and shook the great man’s hand. Adlai responded, “Son, I wouldn’t take any bets on that.”