Dan Walker Memoir

University of Illinois at Springfield Norris L Brookens Library Archives/Special Collections Dan Walker Memoir W151. Walker, Dan b. 1922 Interview and memoir 8 tapes, 550 mins., 155 pp., plus index ILLINOIS STATECRAFT Dan Walker, Democratic Governor of Illinois 1973-1977, discusses his years as Governor: campaigning, his famous walk around Illinois, debates, and issues; the elections of 1972 and 1976; and his administration: budgeting, cabinet and personnel, relationship with the legislature, and accomplishments. He also discusses his life prior to being governor: his naval career, college education, law practice, trial lawyer work, and experience as Deputy Chief Commissioner to the Court of Military Appeals. Interview by Marilyn Huff Immel, 1981-82 OPEN See collateral file: interviewer's notes and photos. Archives/Special Collections LIB 144 University of Illinois at Springfield One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 Springfield IL 62703-5407 © 1982, University of Illinois Board of Trustees PREFACE This oral history of Governor Dan Walker's administration is a product of "Eyewitness Illinois," a program of the Oral History Office of Sangamon State University. The project was made possible in part by a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional financial support was provided by Caterpillar Tractor Company, Arthur Andersen & Co., Canteen Corporation, Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation, Susan Cooke House Trust and the MacArthur Foundation. Central to this program is a conviction that the business of the governor deserves larger and better public understanding, and that oral history offers a distinctive way of supplying it. Governor Dan Walker held Illinois chief executive position from 1973-1977 after winning the 1972 election as the Democratic candidate who ran without Chicago's Mayor Daley's endorsement. He announced his decision to run iu 1970 and began the famous "Walk" around the state of Illinois where he captured the votes of the people and publicity for his campaign. His love for campaigning and his one-on-one meetings with the people are captured in the memoir in the "Walk" stories. Dan Walker was born in 1922 in Washington, D.C. His father was a navy man and Dan Walker followed in his footsteps by joining the U. S. Navy in 1939. Later, he entered the U. s. Naval Academy. After several years in the navy, he changed the direction of his career and entered law school at Northwestern University. There he helped organize the Young Democrats and made contacts that would prove helpful when he embarked on his political career. Upon graduation in 1950, his legal career began in Springfield, Illinois, where he worked on severaudy commissions. He was selected to be a clerk to the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court. A tour of duty in Korea interrupted this position; however, his legal enpertise was tapped and he was appointed deputy chief commissioner to the Court of Military appeals. Walker attributed his involvement with Adlai Stevenson's 1952 presidential campaign as the beginning of his political career. Walker continued to be active in Democratic campaigns for many years even while doing legal work for the firm of Hopkins-Sutter where he became a trial lawyer. In this oral history, former Governor Walker talks about his political life and gives us personal insight into the Walker administration and his political style. Readers of this oral history should bear in mind that it is a transcript of the spoken word. Its informal, conversational style represents a deliberate attempt to encourage candor and to tap the narrator's memory. However, persons interested in listening to the tapes should understand that editorial considerations produced a text that differs somewhat from the original recordings. Both the recordings and this transcript should be regarded as a primary historical source, as no effort was made to correct or challenge the narrator. The conclusions and assertions do not necessarily represent the views of the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Sangamon State University, or other sponsors, nor are these institutio_ns responsible for the factual accuracy of the memoir. The tape recorded interviews were conducted by Marilyn H. Immel during the summer of 1981 and in February, 1982. Ms. Immel was born in 1943 in Wichita, Kansas. She received a bachelor's degree in Russian language and literature from Northwestern University in 1965. While raising two children she was actively involved with the League of Women Voters in Springfield, Illinois, working primarily in the areas of election laws and government. In 1977 she returned to school in order to pursue a master's degree in political science. She was associated with the Oral History Office of Sangamon State University from January of 1981 until August, 1983. Jackie Barnes transcribed the tapes and, after the transcriptions were edited by Ms. Immel and reviewed by Governor Dan Walker, Linda Jett prepared the typescript. Florence Hardin compiled the index. Francie Staggs and Carol Marshall assisted in the pre-interview research. Marilyn Immel supervised the artwork, photographic layout and production. The Illinois State Historical Library provided valuable assistance in the research effort. This oral history may be read, quoted and cited freely. It may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the Oral History Office, Sangamon State University, Springfield, Illinois 62708. --.. --~-·-:------ -- TABLE OF CPNTENTS Family Background and Education • . • • • • • • 1 Birth--Parents--U.S. Naval Academy--Brother- Naval Career--Northwestern Law School-- The Little Hoover Commission Career. • • • • • • • •• . • • • • • • • • • • • 6 Commission Work--Clerk to Chief Justice of U.S. Supreme Court--Korea--Adlai Stevenson's 1952 Campaign--Trial Work at Hopkins-Sutter--Governor Stratton--Political Work and Influences--Slatemaking- The 1969 Gubernatorial Announcement--The Little Hoover Commission--Crime Commission--Mental Health Legislation- Committee on Illinois Government--Democratic Federation of Illinois Special Commission Appointments • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 25 The Public Aid Commission--Open Housing in Deerfield--Riot Study Committee--Chicago Crime Commission--Spotlight on Organized Crime- Democratic Convention Violence Study Walker's Democratic Primary Campaign for Governor • • • • • • • .34 Fundraising--The "Walk"--The "Walk" Stories-- Concerns of the Southern Illinois People-- Reading People Along the Walk--Relating to Young People--Senator Lawton Childs--The Media Coverage--The Fly Around Tour--Impact of the "Walk"- The Political Opponents--Financial Disclosure Position- Airing the Issues--The Tape Recording Debates--Dan Walker, Paul Simon, and the Press--Financing Television Commercials--Comparing Primaries: 1972 and 1976- Primary Election Day The General Election, 1972. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 89 Campaigning by Jeep--Debating the Issues with Ogilvie--The Democratic Convention--Television Coverage Governor Dan Walker's Administration. • • • • • • 95 The Transition--Mayor Daley--Lt. Governor Neil Hartigan--The Governor and the Press--Cabinet and Personnel--Management Style--Zero-based Budgeting- Relationship to Legislature--The RTA--First Year Accomplishments--1974 Mid-Term Election--Independent • Democratic Fund--Attorney General Scott--The Financial Disclosure Bill--The 1975 Recession-- The Slating Process The 1976 Campaign • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • 122 Considering the Presidency--Walker vs. Rowlett- Examining the Issues--Readjusting After the Primary- Transition: Walker to Thompson Post Governorship Years and Reflections • • • • • • • • • • • • 130 The Statewide Law Firm--The Press Image- Reflecting on the General Assembly Relationship- The Judiciary--The Governor's Family--Ethics Legislation--Considering a 1982 Campaign Index • • . • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 153 DAN WALKER May 12, 1981, Tape 1, Side 1 A: I was born in Washington D.C. in 1922. My father was a chief petty officer in the United States Navy with a very strong sense of duty, discipline, self-discipline and family. He was raised in Texas, in west Texas to be precise, at a time in the early 1900's when men still carried guns to protect themselves and death from shooting was not an unusual phenomenon. He left home at a very early age and became a telegrapher. At one point he telegraphed for Poncho Villa in Mexico. Then he joined the navy in 1914, I believe it was, and went in to submarine duty. He was a very independent man, very tough man. He was a very strict taskmaster with both my brother and myself. He insisted on hard work, imagination, discipline, duty, all of those things. He became an ardent New Dealer in the 1930's because he had then left the navy and was out of work. It was a very, very difficult time for the family during the depression years because he had no job and only sixty dollars a month I think it was, if that, from the navy. Those were very tough times and a high degree of interest in government and the political system was fostered by my father in me, particularly. He wanted me to become a lawyer to follow in the footsteps of my uncle Daniel Walker who was a judge in Texas. He wanted my brother to go to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and become a naval officer. And it worked out that way so far as my brother was concerned and I was concerned, ultimately, although because of the war I got diverted from law, enlisted in the navy for two years and then went to the Naval Academy. I would say that his dedication to hard work was something that played a real part in my life later on and also the feeling of independence. In high school I did very well scholastically, did not participate very much 2 in sports simply because it wasn't really feasible since we lived out in the country and I had to take the bus home immediately after school. And spent a lot of time on school work, again, at the behest of my father. Q: Did you feel a lot of pressure from him to perform or were you really self-motivating? A: I think it's a combination of both.

Load more