Clip: Bill Clinton “Speaker Wilbur Mills had the longest continuous career in public life, 42 years of any Arkansas public servant. He won 21 elections, was never defeated, and made major contributions to this country. When he was chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, he was known as the second most powerful man in Washington, and I think he was. But to me, the most important thing he did was to come back after his bout with alcoholism in his mid-sixties, turn his life around. And now, in his late 70s, he's working every day, contributing to the welfare of this country and helping young people deal with problems of alcohol and drug abuse. So he's had really two distinguished careers, and in a lot of ways, what he's done in the last 14 years since he left Congress is even more impressive than what he did before.”
Kyle Kellams: It's time for another journey through archives from the Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History. Who's our guide?
Randy Dixon: That would be me, Randy Dixon, with the Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History.
Kyle: We're going to lean into the oral history part of it here since we're radio. What are we talking about this week?
Randy: Well, you heard Bill Clinton. I'm sure it's a familiar voice. Uh, but he was governor at the time. That was in 1988.
Kyle: And he is talking about former Congressman Wilbur D Mills, who takes us back much earlier than the 1980s.
Randy: All the way back to the 1940s, actually. And, uh, well, we sort of have a time capsule, you know. Uh, a remarkable moment in, I guess you'd say Arkansas political history. Uh, I keep finding things. I mean, I've been dealing with this archive from KATV since I started there when I was 19, many, many years ago. And they were on tape nine. And now there are more than 26,000, and they are now digitized. I'm just going through everything and we'll stumble across things that I didn't even know was in there. And this was a tribute to Wilbur Mills. He had been out of Congress for more than a decade. But there's a group in Washington. Have you heard of them? The Arkansas State Society?
Kyle: I have not.
Randy: Well, it's a group of Arkansans who live in Washington. And it's been together for decades. It's a nonprofit. But in 1988, Senator David Pryor was the president, and he wanted to honor Wilbur Mills. Now, in case you don't know who Wilbur Mills was or you need sort of a refresher, uh, we don't generally start a program about someone with an obituary. But this sort of gives a quick summary of, um, Mills's life and career. So here's a short piece from 1992 from KATV. From May 2nd of 92 to be exact. Uh, on the occasion of Mills's death.
Clip: KATV 1992 “It was a dream come true for this man from Arkansas, Wilbur Mills, U.S. Congressman, something he had wanted since the age of eight.
Mills recalled that dream just three months ago from his home in Kensett.
‘President Kennedy was a president. He told me that during his second term, he was going to appoint me to the Supreme Court. I told him, I said, well, you can appoint me, but I won't accept it. He said, why? I said, I never liked to have to make judgments like that. I always wanted to legislate.’
And legislate is what he did.
At one time, Mills was known as the most powerful man in Congress. He was called the chairman for his appointment as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
His career began with President Franklin Roosevelt and ended in controversy.
This night, in the fall of 1974, ended his political career. Alcoholism and a relationship with a stripper named Fanny Fox and Miss Fox dodged news media but later posed for pictures outside her dressing room. He described Miss Fox as a protege, nothing more.
Wilbur D Mills substance abuse treatment center.
But Wilbur Mills quit drinking 17 years ago, in fact. And last year, he began giving even more back to society, a place for recovering alcoholics to find what he had found. Life without booze.
‘I was very fortunate, as I say, I was just lucky. For years and years I had the greatest amount of luck a person could have.’
Whether it was luck or fate, Mills definitely left his mark on U.S. politics.”
Kyle: What we just heard was the obituary Wilbur Mills from about a little more than 33 years ago.
Randy: Right. He died in 1992.
Kyle: But we're going to go back about 37 years ago now to 1988.
Randy: And what this is. This was, uh, from Bill Clinton. You heard from a dinner in Little Rock that's related to what we're about to hear. But this was a really big deal. Uh, it took place in Washington, D.C., uh, hosted by David Pryor in the Mansfield Room on Capitol Hill. Um, it was a packed room. All people from Arkansas, all big fans of Mills. Now, he had been out of Congress but had been practicing law in the DC area for about 12 years. But, uh, all of these notables gathered.
So let's hear from the first person who, I guess you could call a member of the family of what?
Political royalty in the United States. He was a Kennedy. And, uh, this is Senator Edward Kennedy.
Clip: Edward Kennedy "I met, uh, Chairman Mills 25 years ago when I first came to the United States as Senate. That's a long time to serve in the United States Senate. That's what my Republican friends keep reminding me anyway, of in Massachusetts. And I learned at that time that Arkansas really had its own Mount Rushmore. They had John McClellan and Bill Fulbright and Wilbur Mills, and everyone knew what a powerful chairman that Wilbur Mills was in the House of Representatives. And since he left, there's always been a good bit of confusion about power in the House of Representatives or on Capitol Hill, because most of us know that Wilbur Mills took power with him when he left, and he didn't leave very much behind.
"I remember when Chairman Mills and I teamed up together on a national health program, and Wilbur was very simple about that. He said, you pass it in the Senate and I'll pass it in the House. And everybody knew that he was right about his commitment. And then we went to a period where there was a brief flurry of stories about presidential politics, about Mills-Kennedy ticket and a Kennedy-Mills ticket. And I didn't like to read all that presidential talk about Wilbur Mills, and he didn't like to read about it. I didn't like to read about his, and he didn't like to read about mine."
Kyle: Senator Ted Kennedy speaking in 1988 at a tribute dinner to Wilbur Mills, former Arkansas congressman, former chair of the Ways and Means Committee.
Randy: Right. Second most powerful man in Washington. Had a fall from grace. Uh, made a comeback, uh, at least personally. Um, and and really, uh, did not mind talking about his struggles with alcohol and, and the problems, uh, that it caused.
The next person up speaking is, uh, maybe one of the most famous politicians in the state, probably next to Bill Clinton, and that would be Senator William Fulbright.
Um, he had been practicing law in D.C. since 1974, when he lost his Senate seat to Dale Bumpers, governor at the time. So, um, Fulbright, it's funny to to hear this. And this is why I say it's a remarkable, uh, slice of of time. Uh, because Fulbright is talking about the fact that Mills helped him when he was a rookie in Congress.
Clip: William Fulbright "I first came under the influence of Wilbur. What is it? 45 years ago, in 1943, when I came to the house? I'd never been in a legislative hall before, except to lobby a bit for the university down in Fayetteville. And I don't think I'd ever been in Congress before. When I came to the House, Wilbur was then my mentor. He arranged for my assignment on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House. That was my first introduction. And from day, week to week, throughout the two years I was over there, he used to give me instructions. So all the mistakes I made due to the overdoing. But he was he was a very great influence.
"Ted has already said his his chairmanship was the most important, influential committee, I think, in the House, because it not only dealt with substantive matters, it also made assignments to the committees. And that is very important. But there was also Orrin Harris did later John McClellan. And I was also we became chairman. And some of the people from New York didn't like it. They thought it was entirely too many chairmen from a small state of Arkansas. But there was a period when not only was Wilbur powerful as an individual, but he had a lot of support in the rest of the delegation.
"Well, we've been around here a long time. I don't know anybody who's contributed more to the welfare and to the prestige of Arkansas than Wilbur. He's been an adornment on it. He came to the house before I did. I don't think he's quite as old as I am, but he started earlier that night, and I guess I think I'm the remaining senior member of that former delegation. But it's a great pleasure to be here and to help pay a tribute to one of our great men from Arkansas. Thank you very much."
Randy: Now, another political heavyweight from Arkansas, Dale Bumpers, the man who defeated Fulbright. And now at this point is the senior senator from Arkansas.
Clip: Dale Bumpers "I remember right after I won the Democratic nomination for governor in 1970, I went to Searcy for a breakfast. And there was Wilbur Mills. And Wilbur came that night and delivered a barn burning speech on my behalf to the people of Arkansas. And I was just thinking that I could never repay him. And until this day, I have never been able to repay him for all the kindnesses that he has done for me when I was governor. And both Senator and I still like to talk to him, I still consider him as knowledgeable on tax code as anybody in the country.
"And Wilbur, we are all deeply grateful to you. This crowd here is a testimonial to their deep respect and admiration and love for you, and I'm honored to be here. And I'll apologize now publicly that I won't be able to be in little Rock Friday night, but I know it's going to be a big bash. We wish you the very best, Polly. Godspeed. God bless you both. Thank you."
Kyle: Senator Dale bumpers speaking in 1988 at a tribute dinner for former Arkansas Congressman Wilbur Mills.
Randy: And he talked about Polly Mills, uh, Wilbur's wife, who stood by him through all of his problems. I believe she even, um, went down to Florida, to a rehab place when he was down there for a period of time, uh, dealing with his alcoholism and when he had left Congress.
But, um, we hear now from the lone Republican of the Arkansas congressional delegation. So 1988, everybody in Arkansas is a Democrat, except John Paul Hammerschmidt from up here in the third district. And, uh, you know, believe it or not, back then, Republicans and Democrats were able to get along and be friends, and they could disagree.
Kyle: That's true.
Randy: Strongly disagree.
Kyle: That's true.
Randy: But in the end, They'll go play golf together or, you know, go have a cocktail or whatever. And this just shows, uh, how good a friends John Paul Hammerschmidt was with Mills.
Clip: John Paul Hammerschmidt "Of course, I came up here as the first Republican ever from Arkansas since reconstruction. So I was somewhat of an oddball, and they didn't know quite what to make of me. But fortunately, I had a great mentor. Chairman Mills took me under his wing, and I became a protege of his methods and his great understanding of the house. And many a day I've sat in H2O8 and listened to the chairman and talked about very important things while Jean Goss was doing the mundane things over in the other office.
"But of course, it's one of the great experiences of my life to have known Hoover Mills and Polly has always been so kind To my wife Jenny, and we've always been very close friends, and we've missed them very much since they've been gone to Capitol Hill."
Kyle: Will we hear from the man who is being honored?
Randy: He's next. But first, he gets a really nice introduction from the president of the Arkansas State Society, the junior senator from Arkansas. David Pryor introducing the honoree, Wilbur Mills.
Clip: David Pryor "I would like, if I might, this kind of personal. I've never done this before. I'd like, if I could, Mr. Chairman, to read something that I read that I wrote, excuse me about you in 1951. I was a page up here in 1951. And by the way, if y'all want to see a good looking 16 year old kid. Trim and fit and a lot of hair, here I am. I'll be glad to show it to you after a while. But anyway, I wanted to see Harry Truman was the president, and John F Kennedy was in his first or second term in the House of Representatives. And as a 16 year old, I wrote little notes about each person that had impressed me or not impressed me.
"For example, this fellow is dead, Mr. Chairman. James Murphy, Staten Island Democrat. I wrote. I'd like to punch this no good so-and-so in the nose. Now, I don't know. I don't know what he had done to me, but evidently we had we had not gotten along very well. Maybe you read what a 16 year old wrote about Wilbur D Mills, Democrat, seventh term. Very smart, very honorable, a splendid man.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Wilbur Mills."
Clip: Wilbur Mills "Thank you so much, David. You've paid me back. When David came to the house, his mother came up for the swearing in. I'd known her and I'd known David's father. She got me off to the side and told me about David. She said, I want you to know that my son is a chip off the old block. He's just like his father. And that was all I needed because I thought so much of his father. He went on the Appropriations Committee. The first. First day, first day. He was. I wanted to hear him say it. He was chairman of the committee the first day he came to Congress. And I was very unusual. But certainly he reflected the feelings that all of us had about him and our high opinion of him.
"I want to thank you, David, for arranging this. As president of the Arkansas State Society, it's great to be here today. And I want to thank all of you for coming. I'm not going to tell you any jokes. My jokes are all old. I haven't learned any new ones. I'm not going to tell you. I'm not going to make a speech. Even though I am tempted. You know, with a crowd like this enthusiastic anymore. I don't know of any vacancies in Arkansas for which I could run, nor do I have any desire anymore. I like to practice law. You know, they say about us lawyers that we never retire. In the words of Bill MacArthur, we just sort of fade away. We never quit.
"I've enjoyed it very much downtown. I've enjoyed being on the hill occasionally, though I must say there are very few of the members still there. John, Paul and Bill in the House who were there when I was there. But it's great pleasure to get to be with you today. I want you to know that and to see all of you. I appreciate you. I love you. I want you to know how much I respect all of you. Feeling that I have is very warm, very deep. I appreciate what was said by by not president, but Senator Kennedy and that your family has always been very close to me. I appreciate what Senator Bumper said, what Senator Pryor said, and what two members of the House have said. I appreciate what all of you have said to me. It's great to be with you. Thanks so much for being here."
Kyle: We're again hearing voices from 1988 on this week's prior Senate profile.
Randy: Yeah. And I just kind of wanted to throw this in because we were talking about how politics was different back then. There weren't such...
Kyle: Vitriol.
Randy: Right. At least we don't remember the wide divides. And it wasn't personal. Uh, there wasn't. Yeah, really the hatred. But, um, to close, I want to hear from David Prior. Um, and our, uh, CTV's Washington bureau asked him about the high caliber of politicians that have come out of Arkansas. And this is even back in 1980.
Clip: David Pryor "I've wondered about that. But generally speaking, the people in Arkansas will elect an official, and they come to Washington, and the people will give them a wide range of flexibility. They did this for Senator Fulbright, for John McClellan. Uh, they did this for Wilbur Mills. And, uh, the people of our state allow them to develop to their fullest. And many states don't do that. And just because one person might agree or disagree with, uh, every vote or every position, that does not necessarily mean that the people vote against that person in the next election. So the people of Arkansas, I think, are very smart in that way. And that's the way we have developed some of the real giants of Arkansas political history."
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