Victor De Grazia Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

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.. - This oral history of Victor de Grazia's participation in the administration of Governor Dan Walker is a product of "Eyewitness Illinois," a program of the Oral History Office of Sangamon State University. The project was made possible in part by a grant Erom the Illinois Humanities Council in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional financial support was provided by Caterpillar Tractor Company, Arthur Andersen & Co., Canteen Corporation, Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation, Susan Cooke House Trust and the MacArthur Foundation. Central to this program is a conviction that the business of the governor deserves larger and better public understanding, and that oral history offers a distinctive way of supplying it. Victor de Grazia was deputy to the governor Erom January 1973 to January 1977. A long-time friend and associate of Governor Walker, Mr. de Grazia has been involved in Illinois politics since the early 1950s. In 1956 he managed the primary campaign of independent Democrat Abner Mikva for state representative. Mr. de Grazia served as the first executive director of the Committee on Illinois Government where he met Dan Walker, the driving force behind forming the group. He was also executive director of the Democratic Federation of Illinois, a group of independent Democrats dedicated to reforming the state Democratic party. Mr. de Grazia's first position in government was as executive director of the Board of Economic Development under Governor Otto Kerner. Later he served as executive director of the Maremont Foundation and assistant director (under Dan Walker) of the investigation following riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. After working on Adlai Stevenson's 1970 campaign for the U. S. Senate, Mr. de Grazia became Walker's campaign manager when he announced, later in 1970, his intention to run for governor. Mr. de Grazia's wide experience in Illinois government and politics prepared him well for his participation in the Walker administration, and provides a unique perspective from which to comment on governmental affairs and the people involved. He expresses strong opinions as well as providing in this memoir a wealth of personal recollections which enhance our underatanding of Democratic politics in Illinois and the behind- the-scenes workings of government.
Readers of the oral history should bear in mind that it is a transcript of the spoken word. Its informal, conversational style represents a deliberate attempt to encourage candor and to tap the narrator's memory. However, persons interested in listening to the tapes should understand that editorial considerations produced a text that differs somewhat from the original recordings. Both the recordings and this transcript should be regarded as a primary historical source, as no effort was made to correct or challenge the narrator. The conclusions and assertions do not necessarily represent the viewe of the Illinois Humanities Council, 'the National Endowment for the Humanities, Sangamon State University, or other eponsors, nor are these institutions responsible for the factual accuracy of the memoir. The tape recorded interviews were conducted by Marilyn H. Immel during the summer and fall of 1981. Ms. Imrnel was born in 1943 in Wichita, Kansas. She received a bachelor's degree in Russian language and literature from Northwestern University in 1965. While raising two children she was actively involved with the League of Women Voters in Springfield, Illinois, working primarily in the areas of election laws and government. In 1977 she returned to school in order to pursue a master's degree in political science. She was associated with the Oral History Office of Sangamon State University from January of 1981 until August, 1983. Jackie Barnea transcribed the tapes and, after the transcriptions were edited by Me. bumel and reviewed by Mr. de Grazia, Linda Jett prepared the typescript. Florence Hardin compiled the index. Francie Staggs and Carol Marshall assisted in the pre-interview research. Marilyn Immel supervised the artwork, photographic layout and production. The Illinois State Historical Library provided valuable assistance in the research effort. This oral history may be read, quoted and cited freely. It may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the Oral History Office, Sangamon State University, Springfield, Illinois 62708.
Page 1: University of Illinois at Springfie
Page 5 and 6: July 8, 1981, Tape 1, Side 1 Q: I'd
Page 7 and 8: J Anyway, so I was executive direct
Page 9 and 10: should lead the discussion. When I
Page 11 and 12: Now, when Gerty and I first met we
Page 13 and 14: Q: You were at that point preparing
Page 15 and 16: elieve it. He had made the decision
Page 17 and 18: centered--there was an intellectual
Page 19 and 20: You know, as he walked he carried a
Page 21 and 22: A: Isn't it? Q: . , , but nothing i
Page 23 and 24: Foran would have wiped him out in t
Page 25 and 26: Q: Walker has said, and I believe t
Page 27 and 28: A: His whole life, yes. But I reall
Page 29 and 30: Q: What did you decide to do about
Page 31 and 32: everybody was going to have a fight
Page 33 and 34: A: Again, it's not romantic. Electi
Page 35 and 36: One of the things, by the way, duri
Page 37 and 38: So you ask him to do something poli
Page 39 and 40: As you know, Dan brought in zero-ba
Page 41 and 42: Q: They had you. (laughter) A: Yes,
Page 43 and 44: Q: What was your reaction to the di
Page 45 and 46: A: Well, it's still a good idea and
Page 47 and 48: there. Ogilvie came with Tom Drenna
Page 49 and 50: house and all the old timers were p
Page 51 and 52: official, and it is. The one ingred
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Q: Is that what makes you think tha
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confrontation. I don't think I ever
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funny if it didn't have an effect o
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to be free to contribute to campaig
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Q: In June of 1973 there was what w
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governor exerts power and they say
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A: Sure, sure. Q: By just continuin
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A: Well, you know, it'd be interest
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A: That's the one magazine I would
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ight? (laughs) He was the guy that
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Q: Which committee? A: Well, we cal
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Q: At some point during the adminis
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communication with everybody would
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Q: Well, what about Walker's relati
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A: No. When we started this convers
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Q: Yes. A: Well, yes, because circu
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Adante, Beverly, 38 Administrative
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Miller, Jeff, 66 Mitchell, Steve, 3
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Victor De Grazia Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

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