Category: Miscellaneous
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Anatomy of a Controversy: The Great Swimsuit Scandal of 1958
When a Senator’s wife was photographed wearing a bathing suit at a fundraiser, constituents and columnists went crazy. But she wound up making a splash for much more than her body.
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Working for the Weekend: Kefauver and Memorial Day
If you’re enjoying a three-day weekend today, you should know that Kefauver fought for that, too.
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Bye Bye, Shanghai: The Kefauvers’ Strangest Pet
The Kefauver family loved pets. At various times, the family had a veritable menagerie of animals around the home, including dogs, cats, birds, mice, and even… a skunk?
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I Want A Brave Man, I Want a Caveman: Kefauver Comes to Grants Pass
When Kefauver took his Presidential campaign to Oregon in 1952, he wound up getting initiated into a… wild bunch of locals.
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Forgotten History: The Great Senate Fish Battle of 1957
Here’s a story you won’t find in your history book: a tale of sectional rivalries, Presidential recreation, beauty queens, hungry reporters, and fish. So, so many fish.
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Kefauver, the Kids, and the Cast
Remember when you broke a bone as a kid, and you got your friends to sign your cast? Kefauver proved that it’s never too late to take advantage of that opportunity.
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Tennessee Comes to Seattle: Kefauver at the World’s Fair
In 1962, Kefauver attended the World’s Fair in Seattle. While he was there, he got to represent his state, visit his daughter, travel to space, and greet a milestone visitor. Not bad for one day.
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Boom!
The transcripts of the organized crime hearings include a reference to a then-current pop song. Check out the song here, but beware: it’s a real earworm.
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Let’s Go to the Hop!
A quote from one of Kefauver’s books sends me on a quest for a unique photo. I wound up finding it… then I found out it was less unique than I thought.
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Give the Man a Hand!
Kefauver’s handshake made him famous. But it was really just a symbol of his campaign style, and his belief in the importance of personal contact with voters.
Estes Kefauver for President 