the amazing Edmondsons live as normally as possible-'at home'

a, "Jay" edmondson watches her husband on a Sunday T1 debate v i,iting . is vX'. I' . l'ruitl, a family friend .

A Visit with Jay and J. Howard

By Carol J. (Robinson), '59

ovERNORS may belong in mansions, tied back in a plump provincial easy chair alert, former O.U. French instructor and G but anyone expecting to find J. How- and readily answered the questions put Kappa Alpha Theta with a Master's de- ard Edmondson in Tulsa's high-rent dis- to him gree in the unstudied art of being com- trict is in for a big surprise. Edmondson, who was sitting in O.U. pletely herself, is in her own eyes the ideal Home to the forceful governor-elect, law classes just ten years ago, is acutely chief-cook-and-bottle-washer-type wife who 's youngest at 33, is a modest aware that he will be making decisions was never given any choice in the matter one-story bungalow in what might be de- affecting the future of Oklahoma's higher of political skyrocketing . scribed as a middle-middle-class neighbor- education in a few short months. Jeannette, or "Jay" as she is called by hood. A large "Edmondson for Governor" "I am going to do everything possible her friends, perched on the edge of the sign nailed to a front yard tree and a boy's to get a supplemental appropriation for piano bench as she and Edmondson talked bicycle covered with "Big Red E" stickers the university in January," Edmondson enthusiastically of their three law school are the lone evidences of the organized answered without hesitation, adding that years at O.U . (1946-48) and of the other political confusion inside . he had not yet seen a complete breakdown '48ers, many of whom were among the A visit to the Edmondsons, a few days of the figures requested . original campaign volunteers. before the November 4 election swept the But the young politician, recognizing Howard Edmondson, a prank-loving copper-haired O.U. alumnus into the gov- public apathy concerning the educational college boy, was litnited to the one pre-war ernor's chair, made quite apparent the crisis, also has an eye on the long range year he spent at the Phi Gamma Delta fra- non-existence of leisurely Sunday after- problems . ternity house. According to his wife, he noons for Oklahoma's man-of-the-hour . "Many of the professors are just as con- was too busy catching up and getting into Six-year-old Patty Edmondson answered cerned about the need for physical im- Law School to take much interest in cam- the door and went tearing through the provements as with immediate salary in- pus activities after the war. house in search of her parents . Edmondson creases." Edmondson lighted a cigarette as "He had to cram two correspondence had just finished dressing for a television he told of young faculty members whom courses into the three-week period between appearance. His wife was on the phone- he had known who had left ().U . for the semesters to qualify for law school," she not for the first time that afternoon, nor better research facilities and more adequate recalled, "but he did it." the last. classroom equipment which other univer- Asked what was the secret of Phi Gams' Edmondson, appearing as amiable and sities offered . political savvy in Oklahoma free-for-ills . at ease as on his campaign telecasts, looked This reminded hits of a newspaper ar- (Senators and Josh Lee like a promising young businessman in his ticle and he got up to find the Tulsa World were Phi Gams, as well as Edrrtondson's carefully creased gray suit, dark tie, and as Mrs. Edmondson emerged from the Republican opponent, Phil Ferguson, and black tassel loafers . There was no trace of kitchen . his brother, U .S. Congressman Ed Ed- political pomposity in his manner . He set- Jeannette Edmondson, an attractive, mondson), Edmondson laughed and re-

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lated that a rumor had been going around She added dryly that several of her hus- and Edmondson) was during the 1932 that when either he or Ferguson is elected hand's Stillwater supporters had requested election in which their father, the late E. A. the State's motto will be changed to "Lib- that he change to the Big Orange E for his Edmondson, became Muskogee county erty, Equality, and Phi Gamma Delta Fra- appearances there. commissioner . ternity ." Edmondson was plugging for a place in "It's pretty hard to stay in the family "Regretfully, I must, for my part, the runoff during the primary campaign and not get involved in politics," Mrs. squelch that rumor," he said, enjoying the and was as surprised as the political old Edmondson said as she drafted Ed and joke. hands when he led the pack. Mrs. Edmond- Patty, who had just come dashing into the It's hard to imagine a man as spectacu- son theorizes that "enough people were house, to pour the coffee she had been brew- saying he doesn't have a chance in the ing between trips to the telephone. larly successful as Edmondson is as not world, but I'm going to vote for him any- The Edmondsons' oldest daughter, 8- having a definite plan for everything, but year-old Jeanne, was a bright red blur in he swears that neither he nor his broth- way." her hooded O streaked er started out with Politics in mind. "I never thought he could win those .U. sweat shirt as she county elections," she admitted as the through the room to try a Wilkinson-type "If they did have all this planned," Mrs. phone rang again, "but I just knew he tackle on her uncle . Ed Edmondson Edmondson volunteered with characteris- could win this one." obliged with a quick spin before leaving dry wit, "they didn't tell me anything tic The Edmondson brothers returned from for his own telecast in behalf of his Con- it." about the kitchen and paused a moment in front gressional re-election campaign. "And if I were to admit planning it of a mantle picture of themselves taken "Howard and Ed are worse kids than now," Edmondson laughed, "Jay would just after Howard Edmondson's primary the seven children," Jay Edmondson re- claim we were married under false pre- victory. After his brother had left for the marked . (The Ed Edmondsons have three tenses .' television studio, Ed Edmondson recalled sons and a daughter .) "One Fourth of July Edmondson came to the Tulsa county that his first campaigning experience with they bought the children water guns and attorney's office as chief prosecutor after "Nugget" (an Ike-like nickname for 1 low- used them themselves . If that wasn't his brother, with whom he originally had awful!" planned to practice law, was elected to Mrs. Edmondson describes her husband Congress . After being twice elected county as the busy father who spends his limited attorney himself, Edmondson was only a time at home with the children. whirlwind campaign away from the go%- "Neither Howard nor Ed take off and ernorship. play golf." She pushed her short brown "He had gotten to the point in politics," hair into place. "1 guess they know we'd Mrs. Edmondson explained, "where there kill them if they did in the little time they was nothing else he wanted to do here in have at home." the county . Some of his friends wanted A procession of small boys wandered him to run for attorney-general this year through the house, none of whom proved and for governor in four years ." to be 11-year-old Jimmy (James Howard Jr.) . His mother explained that Jimmy, But Jay favored her husband's decision just become a Boy Scout, has been to make the big race this time and she was who has he took the soon an experienced campaigner . living in his sleeping bag since a friend's "We get weary sometimes when we are oath and had been camping out in gone so much," she admitted . "Home is back yard the night before. just a place to drop in for clean clothes." The children were very conscious of The phone rang and Mrs. Edmondson campaign activities, but not unduly im- went to answer while her husband talked pressed. Once when Patty was playing at a neighbor's home she was told "Your dad- earnestly about attracting young men into dy's going be on television ." state politics . Suddenly, he jumped up to to Patty answered with disappoint- open the door for his brother Ed who had "Oh," just stepped onto the porch carrying a sack ment, "I wanted to watch cartoons." of apple cider vinegar and honey, a home The Edmondsons know that raising the remedy for Edmondson's sinus trouble. three small children in the glare of mansion will present its prob- The brothers went into the kitchen while governor's Already they have had to do some Mrs. Edmondson explained that Ed had lems. explaining to the children about the been responsible for selecting the Big Red serious about their father E slogan for Edmondson's campaign. false stories circulated during the hectic primary days, although "Edmondson is a hard name to deal the Edmondsons feel they came off very with ." She stepped into the next room re- well as far as rumors are concerned . turning with one of the campaign pins, "Children are more sensitive about these white styrofoam in the shape of the state than most people realize," Mrs. Ed- of Oklahoma, outlined in red and centered things mondson said, making sure Jeanne and with the Big Red E. "We had a name- selling proposition in some parts of the state, and the slogan combined a sense of ~l pride in Oklahoma and the team spirit of Eight-year-old Jeanne Edmondson plays in the campaign." the drive of her soon-to-be vacated home. Continued on Page 3?

NOVEMBER, 1958 PAGE

THE CONQUEST ()F P()VFItTI terity and sacrifice, similar to many such the television screen . Mrs. Edmondson and - periods endured by our forefathers. But Pruitt contributed side comments as the Continued from Page 14 surely the initiation of such a program to debate-trained voice laid out the Edmond. stimulate massive increases in private inter- son platform. national investment would justify purely "I remember the night I looked up the temporary privations of this sort. minimum gubernatorial age," Jay laughed, tained in the business or savings of in- Can we afford not to take such a bold, after the program's moderator had com- vestors who can foresee a profit; that profits new, step-especially since the results of mented on Edmondson's age . "We had can only carne through increased volume our governmental aid programs have been been running for about six months, and it and,/or decreased costs per unit ; and that so disappointing? It might serve to break just then struck us that Howard might be decreased cost per unit of production de- the current impasse in foreign affairs, for, too young." pends primarily upon greater production as the immortal Shakespeare said : J . Howard Edmondson slipped under per worker-not upon static or lesser pro- There is a tide in the affairs of men, the wire by only two years to qualify for a duction per worker! Which, taken at the flood, leads on to four-year stay in the governor's mansion What all this adds up to, of course, is fortune; (the minimum age is 31) . In 1962 when he that the ultimate objectives of both labor Omitted, all the voyage of their life completes his term at age 37, the young and capital are identical. Why cannot this is bound in shallows and in miseries. ()klahoman will have passed the minimum simple truth be indelibly impressed upon If we launch ourselves on the sea of for- age for occupancy of an even more im- our high school youths before they are ex- eign investment, and curb our labor mo- pressive mansion in Washington . posed to the blandishments of the labor nopolies now-the conquest of poverty will But 1962 is a date the Edrnondsons are union demagogues? be hastened . Final realization, resting upon not even thinking about. Enough has hap- The other major obstacle to foreign ex- the slow and tortuous processes of educa- pened in the 33 years of 1 . Howard Ed- pansion of our international corporations tion and public understanding, remains a tnondson's life to make them both pause is their high rate of taxation and the con- shadowy goal of the distant future. for hreath . sequent governmental expenditures. Since World War 11, our government has spent JAY AND Ii(AVAR1) about 60 billion dollars in foreign aid. A J . TYLER & SIMPSON CO . huge foreign bureaucracy has been built Continued from Page 4 Wholesale Grocers up, but no appreciable reduction has been Norman made in the great disparity between the standards of living in other countries and Patty were out of ear shot. "They will hate Ardmore, Oklahoma our own. to leave their friends in Tulsa, but all chil- Gainesville, Texas This disparity has existed for centuries; dren hate a change . They'll adjust ; they've the awareness of it is comparatively recent . had a long time to think about it." Hundreds of millions of people are sud- Jay Edmondson brought the portable denly demanding the benefits of Western television set into the living room and be- civilization, and are increasingly resentful gan adjusting it to the channel where her Maw of seeming denials. They do not under- husband was appearing . She admitted that GJFla&vnansDriak stand that the few billions each year con- he is not the kind of husband who remem- tributed to foreign investment by the few bers ages, birthdays and anniversaries. countries with exportable capital are piti- "I like to sit and watch Howard squirm fully inadequate, and that literally trillions when they ask him how old his children CaIN' of dollars must be provided before they are," she said. "I used to write special dates s can enjoy anywhere near the Western in his calendar, but he doesn't even have standard of living. time for that now, so I just type them up Desperate and hand them to him ." COFFEE situations require desperate remedies. The is spending She refilled the coffee cups as she char- than any other brand about 45 billion dollars on defense pro- acterized the Edmondson romance as "on- grams. About 21.5 billion of this comes again-off-again since the fifth grade" at from the corporations as income taxes; this Muskogee's Franklin grade school . figure represents about half their profits. Asked about their religious affiliations, Suppose our government negotiated a Jay said, "Howard has been able to keep general disarmament agreement, and, as its up as teacher of an adult class at the John quid pro quo, agreed to release this 21 .5 Knox Presbyterian church. We joined John billion dollars back to the corporations for Knox church before they even had a build- them to use in foreign investment. ing. So we're really old timers in a new Such a program would entail temporary church ." As she spoke, Jay was completely dislocation and unemployment at home oblivious to the noise of a string of freight until the flood of capital abroad could be cars which went hurtling past on the Katy translated into demand for our capital right-of-way bordering the Edmondson lot . goods and other equipment . It is more than One of the Edmondson family friends likely the period of adjustment to the new and political supporters, W. P. Pruitt of situation might require some millions of Muskogee, walked in just as the familiar Americans to go through a period of aus- Edmondson fireside manner appeared on

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