“Visit to Boys’ State Great Experience” from the June 23, 1959 Door County Advocate
REMOVING THE EVIDENCE — When Mr. and Mrs. Charles Asher went to Ripon Thursday night to see their Son Chuck inaugurated as governor of Boys State Mrs. Asher greeted her son with a big kiss. Since Gov. Asher was just about to make his inaugural speech before 1,000 people, a repair job was then in order. —Advocate
Visit to Boys’ State Great Experience
Badger Boys State is an overwhelming experience. . one you’ll never forget if you see it.
It was my pleasure to accompany Mr. and Mrs. Charles Asher of Sturgeon Bay to Ripon Thursday night to watch their son Chuck take the oath of office as governor of Boys State 1959.
I knew what Boys State was all about but had no idea of the tremendous energy and enthusiasm there. Brother, I’m sold on Boys State. Every organization that sponsors a boy to it should have a representative there to see the wonderful thing they’ve done.
But perhaps we should begin at the beginning. Many readers have only a fuzzy notion of what Boys State is all about. Boys State is sponsored annually by the Wisconsin Department of the American Legion and takes place on the Ripon college campus. Legion posts and service organizations all over the state may sponsor young men to Boys State. The faculty of the high school in the particular locality picks as many outstanding junior boys as are sponsored.
Just to be chosen to go is an honor. In Chuck’s case the qualifications were obvious. (See editorial). He is an athlete, scholar, good speaker, personable, and modest of his achievements.
So it was that 781 boys converged on the Ripon campus at the start of last week for the 18th annual session.
To give you an idea of how Boys State works, and to find out what it takes to become governor from nearly 800 boys, I interviewed Gov. Asher Monday morning.
The first thing Chuck did was get off on the wrong foot. He neglected to register. It was probably the first time in BBS history that a boy who forgot to register became governor. At any rate, that was straightened out and the process continued. All boys are numbered as they register. Odd numbers were Federalists, even Nationalists.
College dormitories are counties. Areas in the dorm are cities, subdivided into wards of about six boys each. Chuck was a resident of Bashford city. Each city had approximately 32 men, half from each party. Thus there can be spirited party contests within cities for city offices but the city can pull together as one unit to back county or state candidates.
At Chuck’s first ward meeting he found himself elected chairman. That was the first step in his march to the governorship.
I should mention here that Chuck had already had enough politicking to last a while. In an election almost as spirited as that at Boys State, Chuck was defeated for the presidency of the senior class at Sturgeon Bay high school. Chuck is a good loser, but didn’t go to Boys State with the intention of getting so involved in politics again.
But when he was elected ward chairman the fire was kindled. He may have remembered what his father said: “It’s easy to be a follower.” Or the parting remark of his principal, Tom Walker, spoken in prophetic jest: “We expect you to come back with the top job.”
The ward chairmen had a meeting and Chuck was appointed temporary mayor, that is, for organizational purposes. Next step was his selection as the city’s campaign manager, the boy who would organize whatever effort the city would make toward getting a candidate or candidates elected.
Bashford decided to think big, shoot for the governorship.
Of five boys in the city who wanted the top job, Chuck was chosen to go after it. He was to be a candidate for the Federalist party nomination.
A smart politician chooses a live issue, one that will give him publicity, get him known, get support for him.
Chuck had a roommate look up the record and found that most past governors came from the large cities, particularly Milwaukee. He also knew that 85 per cent of the boys there are from small towns. There was the issue. Elect a governor from a small town.
At a party caucus, a particular meeting in which campaigning was supposed to be barred, a zealous Asher backer introduced Chuck as a candidate for governor. This of course raised a howl because it was contrary to rules.
Chuck took the opportunity to apologize profusely and at that moment the Federalists got a good look at Chuck Asher, candidate for governor. It was a nice piece of strategy.
By this time Chuck was completely wrapped up in campaigning. When he does something he goes all the way and his fuel tank is seemingly inexhaustible. He skipped three straight meals to get around, get known.
“I’ll bet I shook every guy’s hand down there, he said.
Eight boys ran for the gubernatorial nomination. With his “small town” issue Chuck was a shoo-in. Of 390 votes he garnered 286.
The nomination in the bag, Chuck was advised to soft-pedal the small town gimmick to avoid a party split. His managers wanted all Federalists on his side, not just the small towners. However he still feels that the issue would have attracted enough small towners from both parties to win the election. His opponent, Barry Gaberman, is from the big city of Madison.
When the two candidates had been nominated by their parties campaigning began in earnest. Federalists chanted “Asher for Governor” when marching to meals. In the wee hours of the morning the same shout would be heard in dorms. And in those same wee hours Chuck was out in the hall, where there was light, thinking up ideas for his campaign speech, before the whole BBS population. He got practically no sleep for two days.
The final campaign speeches and demonstrations were Wednesday night. Both Gaberman and Asher were carried around the college gym on the shoulders of their backers. Banners literally covered the gym walls.
“Chuck, incidentally, had two Nationalists bear the brunt of shouldering him around.
Gaberman spoke first. According to witnesses he was a highly emotional speaker with an evangelistic style In contrast Chuck was quite calm. Instead of trying to stir up the boys’ emotions he tried to appeal to their values. He told of what Boys Stole had come to mean to him and what he felt he could do in return.
Campaigning was officially over.
We knew Wednesday that Chuck had been nominated. Advocate Vice President W. A. Witte of Appleton is also vice president of the Boys State Corp. He called me.
So it was that we knew what Chuck’s parents didn’t know.
Chuck called them Wednesday night. They asked if he’d been elected to anything and he said no, that he was just having a good time. He wanted to surprise them. He did.
Witte suggested I write two stories, one for victory, one for defeat. I knew Chuck. I wrote one story. The vote was Asher 399, Gaberman 382.
Waiting for the final returns Chuck said he “had more butterflies than before a football game.”
When the results came in Witte called us. Moments before, Val Ove, BBS president, had called Mrs. Asher to invite the Ashers down for the inauguration that night.
Mr. Asher, president of Roen Salvage, was known to be flying back from the Harrisville, Mich., harbor project but his time of arrival was uncertain. Fortunately he arrived in time to make it to Ripon at 6:55, five minutes before the parade.
I asked to ride along to get pictures.
Riding in a plush convertible, Gov. Asher led the whole Boys State contingent in a parade through Ripon. He was delighted when he saw his parents on the first corner.
The inauguration ceremony followed immediately in the college gym. Governor Nelson and Justice Broadfoot were there; Wallis Wils, Girls State governor; Maj. Gen. Ralph Olson; Dr. Fred O. Pinkham, Ripon college president; Mrs. Stanley Staidl, state auxiliary president (the auxiliary sponsors Girls State); John Wilson, Mayor of Ripon; and Glenn Tinkham, president of BBS Corp.
The boys enthusiasm was breathtaking. When they sang “Little Liza Jane” I thought the plaster would fall down. It’s practically indescribable. The very air was changed with the energy of 781 outstanding boys who had lived and campaigned together all week.
The band was unbelievably good. Those who specified in their applications that they could play an instrument were organized into a band upon arrival. They rehearsed three hours last Monday afternoon and gave a concert that night. They were as good as any small college band I’ve ever heard and that is no exaggeration. There wasn’t sour note.
Although Gov. Nelson and Gov. Asher were received with unbounded applause, I must be truthful and report that the popular hit was another governor, tall, attractive Wallis Wilde, Wauwatosa, 1959 Girls State governor. Her speechmaking ability proved up to her charm.
Gov. Nelson stressed thinking in his speech. He said it is the hardest thing in the world to do. He told of a lecture his father gave him one day to the effect that after 26 or so the body slowly goes downhill, but that the mind can be improved and grow in wisdom till the last day of life.
Gov. Asher thanked everyone who made it possible for him to be governor, particularly the Archie Lackshire Legion post which sponsored him.
He spoke with authority and conviction. It’s too bad his forensics coach, Sam Moreau wasn’t there for the big moment.
Gov. Asher got a thunderous reception when he rose to speak. He was obviously the people’s choice. His parents, too, got a standing ovation when they were introduced.
For the remainder of his stay at Boys State Chuck hardly had a moment to call his own. He was interviewed on radio, had to make appointments and address a joint session of the legislature. He advised making haste slowly on drawing up a Boys State Constitution.
In his radio interview he was asked about college. He tactfully said he had given Wisconsin some thought but the real answer probably that he’ll go to his dad’s alma mater, Michigan State. As if there weren’t enough Badgers on State’s basketball team, murdering their home school! Chuck will probably study engineering, his father’s profession.
Boys State has a staff of 12 attorneys who advise on political problems and who give courses. Somehow Chuck found time to take a course in patent law and graduate with highest honors.
Chief barrister there was Atty. Gen. John Reynolds.
Although chances are slim that he’ll accept it, Chuck, as governor, was offered a scholarship to Ripon college. All governors are offered scholarships and some have gone to Ripon.
One of Chuck’s toughest jobs as governor was to make appointments. Using a combination of the spoils system and figuring actual qualifications Chuck appointed some of his campaign managers and some members of the Nationalist party, including his opponent, to high appointive positions. He gave Gaberman the post of director of the Department of Public Welfare.
The governor has the privilege making honorary appointments, which are officially signed by the adjutant general. Chuck appointed his father as “worthy advisor,” his mother “loving caretaker,” sister Sue secretary, brother Steve junior consultant and brother John consultant.
He picked a good office for his mother. When she saw how tired her son looked she wanted to cook him a nice meal and pack him off to bed.
In the next year Gov. Asher will make at least 60 speaking engagements. He will be on the BBS staff in I960.
He and Gaberman were chosen by the adult staff to represent Wisconsin at Boys Nation July 17-24 in Washington. See separate story.—CFH
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
[Little Liza Jane:
https://www.georgiapickandbow.org/tune-little-liza-jane
Articles by Chan Harris
https://doorcounty.substack.com/t/chan-harris