With Senator Mark Hatfield in Washington. (L to R): Elmer, Emily, Eleanor, Senator Hatfield"Rockefeller, Hatfield, and I argued that it was high time that the governors took a stand on one of the most important issues facing the nation. The United States had to assure basic rights and decent treatment for everybody. We prevailed. In 1961, the nation's governors went on record in support of guaranteed equal rights for all Americans.
That meeting sealed a friendship among Rockefeller, Hatfield, and me. I was a loyal volunteer in Rockefeller's campaign for the presidency in 1964. Hatfield said to me after our 1961 meeting, 'Elmer, anytime you have any project, I'd be glad to join up with you.' We saw most issues the same way. We stayed in touch, and I cheered him on through his years in the U. S. Senate. In March 1996 [sic], a proposed amendment to the U. S. Constitution for a balanced budget was down to one vote in the Senate. The day before the vote was cast, Eleanor, Emily, and I were in Washington and had lunch with Hatfield. He told us he was going to vote against the amendment."
Courtesy Elmer L. and Eleanor J. Andersen Family
"A Man's Reach -- A Transforming Life" is on display through August 15 in the Exhibit Gallery, Elmer L. Andersen Library, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus.
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