Chuck Percy is 88

Chuck Percy is 88

A friend noticed that former United State Senator Chuck Percy was 88 on Thursday.

I was enamored with Percy when he first ran for United States Senator. I had been nominated as the Republican candidate for McHenry County Treasurer at the time and was the ripe old age of 24.

Percy had run for governor in 1964 and lost to Democrat Otto Kerner. I was helping out on the McHenry County part of his campaign.

Somehow I ended up with a bag of buttons like the one you see. This is the only one I have left. One woman handed them out like candy in the parking lot of the old downtown Jewel (where the Brink Street Market now is located).

I was an active button collector then, having gotten pretty much every 1964 Republican presidential button while I was chairman of the Oberlin College Republican Mock Convention, so I was appalled at their disappearance, especially since we had plenty of Percy for Senator buttons.

In 1982, I was the GOP candidate for state comptroller against Roland Burris.

Just two memories.

We were in Carbondale the day that the St. Louis Globe-Democrat made its endorsements. All of us Republicans got endorsed.

It didn’t surprise me. I had made a good pitch to the editor who interviewed me.

“They even endorsed Skinner,” Thompson remarked.

After I lost, Percy called me at home. That was an impressive show of compassion.


Comments

Chuck Percy is 88 — 1 Comment

  1. As a fellow button collector I would dearly love to have one of those Percy buttons for my collection if you ever run across an extra. I have tons of great buttons to trade for it and other politicals you may have. Thanks, Ron Wade ronwadegop@aol.com

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