:!II1~'CJlIWI"lmra'" THE dERRY IIIlTon STORY By Cordell Tindall THE CLASSIC SUCCESS STORY of a few decades ago the vote, carry 98 (of 114) Missouri counties, in a featured a poor hoy of humble origin wi.nning fam e race with two formidable opponents blessed with and acclaim, despite apparent unsurmountabl e ob­ better-known names and better-known records? stacl es. The Horatio Al gieI' story, they called it. Political analysts now me reviewing the factors Jerry Litton lived such a story.The shy country in the campaign. But no analysis of what happened boy from Lock Springs, Mi ssouri, shed all inhibi­ can take into account the energy displ ayed by this tions to win both fame and fortune - early in high 39-year-old farm boy.Nor his confidence. Early polls school and the University of Missouri-C olumbia and showed him trailing, but he was never discouraged. later as a millionaire cattlebreedcl' and new breed He had his own timetabl e. of politician. In fact, it appeared he lived by a timetable of his LiteralJ y adored by farm people, he also was com­ own design aJl his life - up to that last awful mo­ fortable in more sophisticated urban circles. Show ment. He once said his goal was to be elected to the peopl e, industt·y executives, political leaders, they U.S. House of Representatives by the time he was all sensed that here was a young m an with drive and 35. He was. He needed money to further his ambi­ ambition who was going places. tions. He was a multimillionaire when elected U.S. More important was the way the general public Representative from the 6th District, thanks to the reacted to this young man with the burnl.ng ambi­ success of his Charolais beef cattle operation. (The tion. They accepted what he had to say. H e converted cattle ranch, which he owned with his parents, was nonpolitical people into earnest crusaders. sold when he went to Washington. H e suggested he Then, at the veIl' moment of his greatest success, wished to avoid any conflict of interest.) as it became obvious on election night August 3 that his margin of victory in the Democratic primary race THE L1nON LEGEND got its start on a farm near Lock for the U.S . Senatorial nomination was far greater Springs, not far from Chillicothe, in Northwest than his most enthusiastic boosters had dared pre­ Missouri. Jerry freq uently recalled his humble ori­ dict, the entire Litton family died in the flaming ta ke­ gins, the adversities endured by his parents, Charles off crash of' a twin-motored plane at the Chillicothe and Mildred.Jerry was not born in a log cabin; he airport. J erry, his wlfe, Sherri, and the two Litton called it a three-room house. children , Scott and Linda, all were killed. The plane's But by the time he was in Chillicothe High School pilot and his son died, too.The group was headed for (he went there to get vocational-agriculture courses), a victory celebration in Kansas City. things were looking up for the Litton family.A lar­ ger farm had provided money to build a larger, com ­ FEW EVENTS IN MISSOURI h ave had such an emo­ fortable country home. As a Future Fmmerof Ameri­ tional impac t. ca he had both beef cattle and swine projects. A The legend of J erry Litton now is emerging, at Hereford bull he owned gained a noteworthy four times somewhat embellished. The stal'k fa c ts are pounds a day on a feed test. A litter of orphan Duroc rem31'kable enough. How could he win 46 percent of pigs was raised on synthetic milk, an innovation at 1llI'iSOIJ(((<)UlllnI S /.!'J Jerry and Sherrl Litton came to Columbia In February to kick off his winning campaign forlhe Untied States Senate before a packed house. the time, and six of the litter won eight blue ribbons at the 1953 Missouri State Fair. The shy Jerry was encouraged by his agricultme instructor to take public speaking, and from then on, as he confessed, he never quit talking. He impressed his peers so thathe was elected state pres­ ident of the FFA, later was named secretary of the national FFA. Once, visiting industrial sponsors he made news by jitterbugging with Mrs. Harvey Firestone. HE ENTERED the state FFA public speaking contest and for once came in second. (The writer was one of the judges.) But as the state's alternate he won the regional FFA contest, then the national. Next came college training - at Mizzou. Here were new worlds to conquer. But by now Jerry wasin such demand as a speaker with engagements across the nation that at times going to classes was some­ what of a sideline. In fact, a sympathetic Ag School official stretched the rules on class attendance a bit to keep Jerry in good graces. His new cru:eer was almost too successful. He was offered a job selling advertising for the national FFA magazme at what appeared to be a magnificent salary.But wiser heads prevailed, those of school officials and his parents, and Jerry g:raduated in ag journalism in 1961. Jerry then surprised those of us watching his career er even after going to Washington, a remarkable and returned to Chillicothe to go into a fanning part­ accomplishment. nership with his parents. No planting corn or feeding Over the years, his University h ad given him nu­ hogs - his return to the faml was done with his usual merous honors, including the Citation of Merit and flair and style. He began to breed and promote the Faculty-Alumni Award from the Alumni Associa­ Charolais beef cattle, the new, larger cattle from tion. He, in turn, continued to be a supporter of his France. Jerry was ahead of the crowd and soon he alma mater, serving for a time on the Alumni Asso­ had won a reputation for having one of the top Charo­ ciation 's Board of Directors and the Communica­ lais herds in the nation. It was never clear if leny tions Committee, which directs the Missouri Al.um­ made Sam the Bull famous, or vice versa. Anyhow, nus. He seldom missed a home football game. Now, it was a winning combination. a scholarship fund has been set up in his memory in lerry married his high school sweetheart, Sharon the Development Fund. His parents also are plan­ Summerville, but you can't say they settled down ning a memorial near his home in Chillicothe. to the typical farm life. The showplace farm owned by a wealthy lumberman, Ralph Smith, came up for WHILE STILL IN COLLEGE Jerry was bitten by the sale at Chillicothe and the Littons bought it. They political bug. He was elected student body president later added a lovely home, complete with office and then headed up a Youth for Symington Com­ space for the growing beef operation and closed cir­ mittee to promote the presidential aspirations of then cuit television in the bedroom for surveillance of Senator Stuart Symington. calving heifers- with an occasional check on Sam in Observers of the Litton Legend knew instinctively his red carpeted barn. Litton loved dance bands and that he would enter the political arena on his own, built a band stand in the basement of his home. He someday. He was still going about the country on also had a complete bal', but he remained a teetotal- speaking engagements. So when Bill Hull, of Wes- JO ! mISSOUHI (lLUmnus As the national secretary of the FFA, Jerry conversed with for­ mor President Harry S Truman. LorlBo<II"'Bn ton, did not choose to run in the Sixth District, Jeny race literally thousands of Republicans asked for entered the race, with a big field of candidates. He Democratic ballots, all with one reason in mind. won, of course. The beautiful Sherri was his cam­ This Senatorial race was, of course, his biggest paign manager. challenge. He knew he lacked statewide recognition. Jerry developed the highly popular "Dialogue with It took money to get television time and exposure. Litton" television program, 30 minutes selected The polls would show that after people watched his from gO-minute sessions with national personalities. TV show, he had their support. An estimated $1.2 To everybody's surprise he regularly attracted crowds million went into the campaign, atleasthalfofithis. of more than 1,200 people to the Sunday afternoon programs n ear Kansas City. He edited the programs, OF COURSE, he still would have had high caliber himself, again using skills learned in college. He opposition in the general election. But Jerry's sup­ not only selected lively exchanges, he was able to porters felt that this was but another step on the way stimulate them. Few politicians could stand the close to the top. Undoubtedly, the final goal was the White scrutiny of the television camer a lens. Jerry was at House. his best here, holding his own with such notables The Litton Legend is difficult to exaggerate, and, as Hubert Humphrey, Shirley Chisholm, Franklin D. surely, it will grow. Hopefully, it may inspire other Roosevelt, Jr., Jimmy Carter, and Earl Butz. shy farm youlhs to dream big dreams. I'm glad I was The second congressional election was no contest. around to see and record his cal'eer. Seldom has Jerry had as much support from Republicans as from sweet triumph taken such a bitter turn. What a trage­ Democrats. Yes, he was a political animal but of dy and what a loss for America.