The honor to Sen. Henry M. Jackson across from his home is a fitting tribute to a man who has done so much for the people of the state of Washington. (Monday article, “Everett park puts ‘Scoop’ Jackson in his rightful place.”)
I worked on some of his campaigns and got to know him well.
There was a sad gloom over the Evergreen State Fairgrounds when his death was announced at the start of the fair. I was president of the fair board and fair manager at that time and Ella Walker sent me down to the senator’s Seattle office to pick up his flag, which had flown at half-staff over the Capitol in Washington, D.C. I brought it back to the fairgrounds, where it was honored.
When the senator came to the fairgrounds, I would escort his son and daughter around the grounds and it took a long time as every few feet people would stop us and tell him how much they appreciated what he had done for them.
Sen. Jackson surrounded himself with talented people. There was the crafty and politically wise John Salter, who became his administrative assistant. John and the senator had grown up together in Everett. And the brilliant young attorney from Everett, Ed Hansen.
Sen. Jackson once told me, “If you want to be successful in life don’t forget to help the less fortunate.” It’s a good lesson for everyone to follow.
Along with hundreds of others, I was a personal friend of Sen. Henry M. Jackson, and was honored to have known him!
Tom Kennedy
Bothell
EDITOR’S NOTE: This letter has been corrected since its original publication. Due to an editing error, an earlier version incorrectly stated that Mr. Kennedy had worked in Sen. Jackson’s office in Washington, D.C.
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