Political Quotes

“today I wish to honor Ken Hechler, a former Presidential adviser, veteran, public servant, author, Congressman, West Virginia's 26th Secretary of State, and educator who left a significant imprint on my home State of West Virginia. Ken was born on September 20, 1914, in Roslyn, NY. Always a staunch advocate for engaging the public in politics, he helped organize support for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal while attending Swarthmore College. He later earned a master's degree and Ph.D. in political science, both from Columbia University. Shortly after the United States entered World War II, Ken was drafted into the Army where he trained as an infantryman and a tank commander. Eventually he was assigned as an Army combat historian and rose to the rank of colonel. He was one of five people assigned to interview leaders of Nazi Germany after the war. His experience as a war historian led to his joining the Truman administration as an adviser on local issues during his tours across the Nation. He remained on Truman's administration throughout the remainder of his tenure and briefly into the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was the author of ``The Bridge at Remagen,'' which detailed the Army's crossing of the Rhine River during World War II. This publication helped make him a household name. Ken later joined the American Political Science Association, with one of his jobs requiring him to find political science professors for colleges.…”