Senator George McGovern and his daughter Susan met with Diana Mara Henry during his visit and speaking tour to Williams College, and graciously signed the photo taken by Stuart Bratesman of them both, accompanied by Secret Service men, on a campaign stop at the Statue of Liberty during McGovern's Presidential campaign in 1972.

McGovern spoke candidly of the three factors that most influenced his loss of the election: the shooting of George Wallace, that returned an estimated 25 million third party votes to Richard Nixon, the "Eagleton affair'" and the 3 a.m. delivery of "the best speech I ever gave" at the Democratic National Convention - when no one was listening. (See photo of future President Bill Clinton listening to the speech on the front Spotlight page of this website.)

Mcgovern also asked me if I didn't believe, as he did, that had he won that election, "the country would not be in the sad state it is in now." Thanks to his gentle, courtly and inspirational remarks, once again, I was able to dream the dream that we all did in those days and form a vision of a better world.

McGovern stood ramrod straight and walked slowly, spoke softly, and was received with great interest by students at the Faculty House, where he held the tea-time conversation preceding his formal lecture that evening. He asked me if I thought he had presented something worthwhile to the young people, and of course I encouraged him to know he did, and to continue to speak and share his insights and inspiration for many years to come.