Read Politics Never Broke His Heart - Washington Secretary of State

KANE & SPELLMAN
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specializing in labor and maritime law. I never regretted my decision.”
At lunchtime, Kane would be out schmoozing up business while Spellman
ate an apple at his desk before heading to the Courthouse. Some saw
them as unlikely partners. In practice, they were a good pair. Spellman
reduced the chaos, if not the clutter, in the office, and his social conscience
was as strong as Kane’s. “It was a very idealistic practice,” Spellman recalls.
“We did considerable pro bono work for minorities and poor people.” Two
decades later when Spellman was running for governor, Kane observed
that “John was not what you’d call a quick jumper. He was an academician;
whatever he undertakes he’ll have the facts. … Politically I pegged him as an
independent, quite pro-labor as we got into representing the ironworkers
and the steelworkers.” 2
BART SPELLMAN had retired after 22 years with Henry Broderick Inc. Some
say his departure was tainted by haggling over what was owed him. If so,
Bart’s long battle with depression, compounded by David’s death, surely
had a role in the dispute; he and Broderick had been friends for so many
years. Lela suggested a change of scenery. They were packing for Europe as
John and Lois were growing serious. Lela approved. Lois was a woman after
her own heart—smart, industrious, thoughtful and pious. Lela gave her son
a nudge: “Why don’t you get married? You’re going to be all by yourself for
a year. Call up Lois!” John called up Lois. “We really should get married,” he
said. “My parents are going to Europe, and we could live in the house over
at Hunts Point.’ ”
As proposals go, this is not the stuff of fairy tales, but she said yes.
Their match is steeped in mutual admiration. “Lois was always one of the
brightest students, all through school,” John says. “In Havre, Montana,
where she grew up, the priest even put her up on the altar to give a talk.
That was against all the rules. She was a natural leader.” Lois’ eyes sparkle
when she talks about her husband. From the Courthouse to the Governor’s
Mansion, John’s friends, agency heads and staff came to regard her as an
astute observer and tough cookie. “She is very good at reading people,” says
Steve Excell, a longtime Spellman friend and former chief of staff. “She
could spot trouble. John was always inclined to give every dog a second
chance to bite. It’s the Jesuit in him. Lois was more wary. She has always
been his biggest fan, sometimes protective but knowing deep down that
that’s not really realistic. They’re both resilient people. He values her advice.
It’s a love story.”
Lois Elizabeth Murphy and John Dennis Spellman were married on
February 20, 1954, at Assumption Catholic Church in Seattle. The bride was