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Recollection from Dr. Jerald Watts (H ’50)

This year will be the 75th year since my Democratic House Page service and what a remarkable year it was. Harry S Truman was president, Mr. Barkley was VP, “Mr. Sam” Rayburn was Speaker, Joe Martin was Minority leader, JFK was a second term congressman as was Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. The great Orator, Mr. Dewey Short from Missouri (“The Silver Tongue of the Ozarks”). It was always a great privilege to ride the senate subway train with VP Barkley. It was like riding with your own grandfather. He was so kind to the Pages. The Korean War began on June 24. 1950 and President Truman fought with the Southern “Dixiecrat crowd”. (My congressman James C. Davis was part of the Southern resistance and I never knew why.)

My best friend was Dan McKinnon (at left, below) whose dad was Clinton D. McKinnon of 23rd District, California who could not stand Nixon. Dan McKinnon attended the University of Missouri as his family was in the journalism business in San Diego. Dan had an outstanding career in the Navy and rescued many with his helicopter squadron. I still miss his friendship. He was one of the outstanding members of our Page group. Numerous pages lived at 305 New Jersey South in a boarding house (now a park) walking distance from our school, Capitol Page School in the Library of Congress. A delightful lady, Mrs. Collitan, was our landlord and “away from home mom.”  I am still grateful for the opportunity of serving as a Page… Jerald Watts, M.D., JD.