Leland J. Kennedy Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

of Illinois) library and muse around. We'd have summer vacations or winter vacations or
time off, and I'd always go in there and just - well just read as many - not from cover
to cover, just spot reading.
But I always found, and I still find, that the reading of a metropolitan newspaper - now
I don't read the New York Times but my brother-in-law does. My sister's dead, but he reads
it yet. Every Sunday he gets it. But I think those things can teach you so much, at least
I thought I learned a lot.
I used to be an avid reader of George Tagge as far as that's concerned, and I'll always
remember that when I got back into politics I sent him a note, and I don't think he'd remember
me if he saw me. Well I never did have any interviews with him or talk to him, but
I sent him a note. He always had a column, I don't know whether it was a daily
column. And when I was a candidate again I told him I imagined there was several hundred
Tribunes sold in the Forty-seventh Senatorial District, or I mean in the - then it was the
county only.
Q: Yes.
A: And I would appreciate if maybe he could mention that, and he did.
Q: Well.
A: And mentioned that he'd hoped that I'd come back. That was a very nice gesture on
his part.
And it's just - oh by continually getting around and meeting people from different walks
of life, and things of that nature, you can - my experience at Shell as working shift work
- you could hear people talk. They had big water troughs out at the main gate and then
they had a big one at the south gate as they called it, and then they had - a huge water
trough. They used to have individual wash houses for each department, but they discontinued
that. And you'd get to know people, and pick up some, oh, some gossip or some opinions
or some sayings and just your association with the various individuals or groups of
individuals has always been a very learned experience in my life.
Rut what preparation, if I made any - I just figured I knew what to do I
guess. (chuckles) And I say that not with a vain approach. I thought 1 could handle
myself.
I mentioned to you yesterday about Reed Cutler. I found Reed Cutler to be an interesting
individual. And I'd eat breakfast with some of those people you know. You'd see them at
breakfast and sit down and have breakfast with them and . . .
Q: When you got up there, were there particular individuals that you began to kind of pal
around with . . .
A: Well, the Legislative Council - and I guess they still do - they had what they call firstterm
dinners you know.
Q: Oh yes.
A: And they'd maybe have a series - January, February and March, maybe they had a half
a dozen. And there were always newcomers you know. Maybe there might have been
twenty-five to thirty, and I think the man you mcntioned at the beginning is the fellow that
- what's his name, Sam? He might have been - Sam Gove, or didn't you mention - or
isn't he on your pad?