[NU Sports] perhaps of interest

[AJWDBW at aol.com]

Willie: Thanks for an excellent piece of journalism. It brought back some  
cherished memories I have  of my meeting with Jackie Robinson. Briefly, it  
came about this way: During  the 1964 Presidential campaign I did advance  
radio and Television for Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey and as a result, 
the  Humphrey campaign asked me if I could do the same in 1968. Acting on a 
request  by the DNC, Robinson came to Cincinnati in connection with a speech 
by Humphrey  to be delivered that next day. I had been sent there several 
days before to set  up some radio and TV appearances so it fell to me to meet 
Jackie and take him  around. I met his plane and we went first to an 
intermediate school where  he spoke to an assembly of children on the importance 
of voting. Afterwards we  had lunch with some editors and then went to a 
radio station for an interview,  And it is here that I want to demonstrate the 
tremendous attraction and respect  Jackie Robinson carried with him wherever 
he went. 
 
To get to the studio we had to go through a Department store and while  
walking down one of the aisles a clerk who was showing a customer a tie spotted 
 us. He immediately recognized Jackie, dropped the tie, left the  customer 
standing there, and followed us until we were practically out the door,  
Jackie chatted with him for a few moments and then we continued to the station. 
 Later, I took him to the airport. We were an hour or so before the flight 
so we  spent the time in conversation -- not talking about baseball or 
politics  -- but about the difficulties of being a father. He was a wonderful man 
and  the brief time I spent with him carry memories I will take with me to  
the grave. Thanks again, Willie, for reminding me.
Don Williams
C55