Jeremiah Marsh Memoir
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University of Illinois at Springfield Norris L Brookens Library Archives/Special Collections Jeremiah Marsh Memoir M351. Marsh, Jeremiah (1933-2004) Interview and memoir 18 tapes, 1560 mins., 256 pp. ILLINOIS STATECRAFT Marsh, attorney, recalls his experiences as Special Counsel to Illinois Governor Richard B. Ogilvie (1969-1973). He recounts activities as a chief advisor and trouble-shooter for Ogilvie, dealing with matters such as the institution of a state income tax, fiscal reforms, the 1970 Constitutional Convention, the governor's legislative efforts, transportation projects, and Ogilvie's failed re-election campaign against Dan Walker. He also recalls attending law school at Harvard, work in Washington as legislative assistant to Edward Kennedy, Illinois Secretary of State Paul Powell and the "shoebox" scandal, Ogilivie's relationships with the directors of state departments and agencies, and relations with the General Assemby and the press. He also recalls his dealings with state political figures including Lt. Gov. Paul Simon, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley (Sr.), Senators Alan Dixon and Charles Percy, W. Russell Arrington, George Dunne, Michael Howlett, Willard Ice, John Lewis, Maurice Scott, and others. Interview by Cullom Davis, 1982. OPEN 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 J Preface 'lhi.s ma.nuscript is the product of a series of tape-recorded interviews canduct:ed by G. CUllan D!lvis for the Qra.l H!st:or:Y. Offioe, Sarga:l1l:a'l state university in 1982. L:in:la s. Jett transcribed. the tapes a:rd Mr. Marsh edited and reviewed the transcripts. Jeraniah Marsh was GoVernor Richard. B. Ogilview's Spec:lial o:unsel. In the Ogilvie lvlministratim, he functimed as Ogilvie's chief t::l:.'oobl.e-shooter and as a principal advisor to the governor, deal:i.n::J with such. subjects as the incaDe tax, the Ogilvie fiscal refor.ms, the 1970 Constitutional Convention, the Administratim' s legislative efforts, the transportatim program, l'DJI1I!rO\lS other programs a:rd agencies, and the re-electim campaign against Om walker. Mr. Marsh was bam in Freel:lom cn.mty, Mirmesota in 1933. He was educated in the Minnesota p.lblic schools and at Ha.rVaJ::t1 College and I.aW Sc:h.cx:U. Before join:i.n::J the Ogilvie Administration in late 1968, he practiced law in Chicago and was Isqislative Assistant to u.s. Senator Fdwani M. Kennedy. He se:r:ved with Ogilvie fran the transitim in 1968 until Ogilvie left offioe in early January1 1973. Since that time, he has practiced law in Chicago ani is presently 01air.man of Hop1d.:ns & sutter, a 1~ law firm with offices in Chicago, Washirqton a:rd r.allas. CUllan ra.vis grew up in central Illi.rvJis, where he returned for a :AlD I in history at the university of Illi.rvJis after his ~te educatim at Prin.c::let:al university. A specialist in American SbXiies a:rd mcdern united states history, he taught at Iniia:na university before oc:rnin;J to 5anga:ar::n state university, where he is professor of histoz:y am director of the Oral History Offioe. He is active in the oral history professim, various historical organizations, civic activities am IleDx::lcratic politics. He is married am father of three drlldren. Readers of the oral history ll.'ll!llVJir should bear in mind that it is a transcript of the spoken word, am that the interviel'.«ar I narrator an:l editor SCJ..19ht to preserve the infonnal., conversational style that is i:nhel:ent in such historical SO\llX:!eS. Barr;Jamon state university is not respcms:ible for the factual accuracy of the memoir, nor for views expressed thereinr these are for the reader to ju::lge. '!he :manuscript may be read, quoted and cited freely. It may not be reproduced in whole or in ~ by any means, electronic or mec:hanical, withcllt pemissim in writi.rg fran the oral History Offioe, 5arr:jam::>n state university, Sprirgfield, Illi.rvJis 62794-9243. i I Jeremiah Marsh Memoir -- Archives/Special Collections, University of Illinois at Springfield r April 22, 1982, Tape l, Side 1 Q. Mr. Marsh, we will be explorirg your association with Governor Richard Ogilvie, but to preface that, I'd like you to talk about your background prior to that association, particularly those elements in the background which in your-in retrospect bear sane relationship to the work you did with him. A. I was bom in southern Minnesota in 1933. I was a gocxl student athlete ani, probably because of the athletic activity when I was in high school, I got the attention of a man :in Mirmeapolis who recruited students for Harvard College. I . went to HarvaJ:d College on a national scholarship, Which went on through law school in my case, ani then I went on to Hal:val:d laW SChool. At Hal:Vani COllege I majored in anthropology ultimately, although my interests were pret;ey eclectic. I liked law school • • • Q. I.et me int.erropt for a naoent with the college. Were there any particular professors or CCRJrseS at Hazvard College that in retrospect influenced you in your career in politics? A. well, evetyt:hi.rq at Ha:tVard COllege did in a sense. I'd say the greatest si.rqle influence on me caniiq out of Harvard COllege was the backfield football coach that I played for. He was an ext:raordi.nal:y man ani I probably learned nDre from hi:m am fran playirg football than I did fran any other sirgle t:hin:J. Q. What did you learn fran him? Jeremiah Marsh Memoir -- Archives/Special Collections, University of Illinois at Springfield A. Cb, lots of t:hi.n;Js. 'Ihirgs that relate to character. Dedication, don't make the same mistake twice on the same play, harq in there, all ki.rrls of tllin;Js that you get fran sports as fran other aspects of life. But the main t.h..irq that I would erq:tJasize about Haivard for saneone like myself, where I came fran a small town in Minnesota, it was a oauplete cultural dlan:;Je for me. Ani it was really alm:lst like livirg in another country. I had CXI'lle fran a family of good ani intelligent people l:ut none of them had fiNer been educated beyond high school. Ani ~ grarxlparents on both sides were fanners, one of Wham was fairly active in Dem:x:rat FaJ:m labor politics in Minnesota as a yourg man ard really till he got fairly old. But I didn't, when I was a boy, really have anybody that was active in political life or even in business as you would think of it, except pertlaps JCr:l dad's business which was a small constroction cxrrpany that built haDes ard camnercial buildirgs once in a while. However, HaJ::vard was a tremerxious eye-opener for me in every respect. I was thrc:Mn in with people fran all over the world and fran all over this co.mtry, talented people of all ki.rrls, professors Who were stimulatirg, an:l other section men as they called them, i.nstructors. I'd say the ability to go through what you might call a cross-cultura1 educational experience of that type, I've frurd to be pertlaps right at the root of sane of ley skills in govemment an:i in law. 'lllat is to see the other party's point of view and think \ll'dersta.rxiily ard hopefully creatively about how that affects the interests that I'm represe:ntin:J or that I might have on ley side. Ani that's in an in:lirect way very significant for dealirg with the diverse people you do in govemment. I didn't really get interested in fonnal political science until I got to law school ani that's been 200re of an adult education, self education thing for me. Although I •ve, in fact, got a pretty deep interest in the subject and continue to read ani think about it. Another theme I think that came to me fran Harvard is the recognition that the only education really worth saoet:h.:irg is self education. Not that a great m'li.versity like that can't open many doors for you, it does. But the JOOSt iDportant one is to teach you that self education is possible ani by beirq self reliant and curicus you can develop interests and habits that help you all your life. I guess I ••• Q. You were goirg to talk about law school. A. I went to law school really because I didn't knew what to do when I graduated. I got dam to the end of my senior year and I had been a good student and active in a number of other ways in college 1:ut I really didn't think I wanted to go into business. I didn't kncw what that would consist of in arr:1 case because I had:n' t had a lot of exposure to business ard I didn't-in light of the alternatives I decided to try law school. People always said, ''Well, at least even if you don't want to be a lawyer it's good Education for a year or so." SO I thought I'd try it for a year ani I did. Ani to ley suprise v· really, I famd that I enjoyed it very DJCh.