Harris Wofford, civil rights activist who helped Kennedy win the White House, dies at 92
Source: Washington Post
Harris Wofford, a Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, university president and lifelong crusader for civil rights who made a crucial contribution to John F. Kennedys slender victory in the 1960 presidential contest, died Jan. 21 at a hospital in Washington. He was 92.
The cause was complications from a fall, said his son, Daniel Wofford.
The scion of a wealthy business family, Mr. Wofford attracted national media attention as a teenager during World War II. He helped launch the Student Federalists group, an organization that sought to unite the worlds democracies in a battle against fascism and to keep the postwar peace.
Mr. Wofford became one of the first white students to graduate from the historically black Howard University Law School in Washington. He was an early supporter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and marched alongside him in the civil and voting rights flashpoint of Selma, Ala. Robert F. Kennedy, the presidents brother who served as U.S. attorney general, once referred to Mr. Wofford as a slight madman in his zeal for advancing civil rights.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/harris-wofford-civil-rights-activist-who-helped-kennedy-win-the-white-house-dies-at-92/2019/01/22/026fe870-1e09-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html
Wofford's surprise win in Pennsylvania 1990 was seen as a precursor to the Clinton win in 1992.
BumRushDaShow
(129,442 posts)What a loss! I remember when John Heinz (R) had that helicopter accident that took his life (actually remember where I was at work when the news came out) and Wofford was appointed to fill the seat back then pending a special election (which he won to fill out the term). Eventually at the next full election, the seat was won by Frothy.
He was quite a bold character and at the time here in PA, was able to break the long Republican stronghold of GOP Senators, at least temporarily. Bob Casey, Jr. finally solidified a seat for Democrats and we even briefly had 2 (D)s from PA when Specter switched parties (although Specter was eventually primaried by Democrats, with Sestak as the winner, who then went on to lose to teabagger Toomey).
R.I.P., condolences to the family, and thank you for your long service for the betterment of the disenfranchised people of the United States via your civil rights work.
IronLionZion
(45,528 posts)I didn't know much about him since it was before my time. It's amazing that someone so liberal was elected from my home state.