THE BRAWL OF 1908
By the time the convention concluded, tempers had flared to such a point that several fights had broken out on the convention floor. Despite the commotion, the Mock Convention of 1908 ended with the students’ first correct prediction of a presidential nominee, as Bryan was selected at the actual Democratic National Convention that following summer in Denver. With the exception of the “brawl of 1908,” frivolity and volatility have rarely been a problem at the convention.
THE DEATH OF ALBEN BARKLEY
The guest of honor in 1956 was Senator and former Vice President Alben Barkley of Kentucky. Barkley delivered a rousing keynote speech exhibiting his genuine love for politics and political conventions. As the crowd roared its approval, Barkley stepped back from the podium and collapsed. Within minutes he was pronounced dead of a heart attack. Only Barkley’s widow could make the student delegates resume their task; “You have unfinished business,” she told convention officials. A week later the convention reconvened, correctly predicting that Adlai Stevenson would once again be the Democratic nominee.
CARTER’S PRESS SECRETARY MISSING IN ACTION
In 1972 Jimmy Carter, then an obscure Governor of Georgia, arrived at W&L to deliver that year’s keynote address. Carter was accompanied by his ever-present press secretary Jody Powell. However, Powell missed his boss’ speech altogether. He gave in, as the story goes, to a temptation offered by several W&L students and alumni, and joined them to play pinball and drink beer at Central Lunch on Main Street, instead of attending Carter’s speech.
CLINTON ENTERTAINS STUDENTS AT OFF-CAMPUS PARTY
In 1988, before his famous appearance on MTV, President Clinton thrilled students by playing the saxophone at an off-campus party in the country. He, too, would use the Mock Convention as a stepping stone to the presidency. These accounts depict the students’ enthusiasm and excitement for this famous event.
