Home
Search transcripts:    Advanced Search
Notable New     Yorkers
Select     Notable New Yorker

Mary LaskerMary Lasker
Photo Gallery
Transcript

Part:         Session:         Page of 1143

because people who remember what happened will recall that at a particular moment Willkie's bandwagon had to have a push and Illinois' change from Bob Taft was large enough to give him the tremendous push. Both Taft and Dewey had solicited his support. I had urged him to be for Willkie but he never told me definitely whom he was going to be for. I knew he wouldn't be for Dewey since he disliked him very much, but he never definitely committed himself to Wendell until the very day of the nomination. He was extremely eloquent and in the Illinois caucus he finally turned Robert McCormick and Kemper, who was an important factor in the delegation, over to Willkie.

Q:

Was Bertha Bauer a member of that delegation then?

Lasker:

I wouldn't be surprised. I think I recall her being there.

We came back to New York for a few days and then went to Chicago and attended one of the sessions of the Democratic National Convention. We really had a honeymoon of conventions.

Q:

This must have been intriguing for you though.

Lasker:

Yes. I had never been to a convention before, I didn't know anything about either party really. And that my candidate should finally get the nomination from the Republicans was very elating.





© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help