Young reporter remembers covering Nixon one week prior to election

There’s nothing to compare with presidential politics.

I’m dating myself but I must reflect back 40 years to one of my biggest assignments as then a young reporter for a small daily newspaper in southern Minnesota. My assignment was to cover an appearance by former Vice President Richard Nixon who was coming to Rochester, MN one week before the election of 1968.

This was an exciting time but also a tumultous one since we as a country had weathered the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in April and of Robert F. Kennedy in June. Our country had also watched a violent setting of events in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention.

I was sent to Rochester all by myself and I guess being youthful I was more excited at the opportunity than nervous about the assignment.

Being properly credentialed, I remember gaining an unbelievable position just to the right of a flatbed trailer that had been transformed into a large stage for what active Minnesota Republicans had hoped would be the stage for the next president of the United States. Nixon was set to speak at 11 a.m.
Since Rochester had a small airport, the stage was practically set upon the runway. As Nixon’s plane taxied to a stop, we reporters, not a particularly large contingency awaited the doors to open. As they did we heard shouts of “Nixon, Nixon” and then the airplane door opened to reveal a hand waving Richard Nixon.

This was 1968, remember and still a time when Nixon hoisted his hands high in the air and shaped a V with both hands. He then worked the crowd and reached the homemade stage already occupied by Minnesota First District Congressman Al Quie and his wife Gretchen. Minnesota Gov. Harold LeVander was also on stage.

I cemented myself in a position right in front of the stage and just began snapping photos. As Nixon took the podium, I took a deep breath and continued to fire away with my Minolta SRT 35mm camera with a 200 mm telephoto lens.

I remember getting yelled at by a Boston Globe photographer who told me to put down my elbows. That’s when I learned to put my elbows into my ribs and get the photos I wanted.

I do remember Nixon talking about the Vietnam War and attaching it to the boot straps of Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, the DFL endorsed presidential candidate.

Nixon was accompanied on this trip by his wife Pat who sat onstage with him but remained quite somber on this fall day that required all to wear large jackets.

I also remember seeing Secret Service officers on top of the adjoining airport buildings. Remember, it was a very volatile time, 1968.

As Nixon left the stage, he worked the crowd again and then headed up the steps on his airplane ready to depart. Before leaving, however, he swung his arms above his head and again fashioned that familiar Nixon Victory sign. Victory was to be his in one week at the ballot boxes.

The airplane door shut and I rushed back to my car to head the 60 miles to Albert Lea to file my story and photos for The Evening Tribune, Albert Lea. Our newspaper typically went to press at about 3 p.m. I arrived in Albert Lea about 1 p.m., gave my film to our darkroom specialist and quickly penned a short story on Nixon’s appearance.

In a few minutes, the darkroom guy, Chuck Wencl, motioned me to come in and pick some photos. The photos actually turned out great. I even took a few color photos for myself. Our newspaper wasn’t doing color at the time. One of my favorite photos was of Nixon at the podium clenching a fist at the camera to make a point in his speech.

I still have those photos somewhere in my collection and also have one of the black and white photos autographed by Nixon.

This was a newspaper assignment I will never forget. Presidential politics are exciting.