Arlen Specter, 1984, by Gary Stoy

From MemoryArchive

Who: Gary Stoy
What: Arlen Specter
When: 1984
Where: New York City

Arlen Specter is now the head of the US Senate Judiciary Committee. Prior to that he was Assistant Counsel on the Warren Commission investigation into President Kennedy's assassination and later, Senator Specter was elected District Attorney of Philadelphia. I lived across the Delaware River in New Jersey at this time.

In 1984, when traveling back from Sweden I had a stop over at JFK since I wanted to visit a friend in Washington DC before heading back to California. Since I was coming from an international flight, I was placed in first class from New York City to Washington DC. It was surprising when I got to my “required” aisle seat that I was in the power seat right next to Arlen Specter and his wife, arm to arm. Sitting through that flight, I sort of valued the time while listening to his conversations with his wife. It was strange coming back from another country being this close to Senate power.