With the passing of Senator Robert Dole, I was reminded of a personal story that took place in Washington. At the time, I was the Executive Vice President and Chief Lobbyist for the International Franchise Association (IFA). The organization's board of directors consisted of presidents, CEOs, and chairman of notable companies such as McDonald's, Hilton, Century 21, and Coca-Cola. At the IFA's urging, Sen. Dole had sponsored a Senate Resolution honoring franchising for decades of highly successful economic growth in the U.S. and globally. The business of franchising represents a whopping 44 percent of our nation's total retail sales and services. An astonishing amount of revenue and employment in the U.S. alone.
The Kansas Senator's daughter, Robin, was my friend and the lobbyist for the Century 21 Real Estate franchisor. Her stepmother, Elizabeth Dole, was Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan in the White House and married to Senator Dole. Mrs. Dole set up a morning meeting at the White House to celebrate franchise business achievements. My association's board of directors and spouses would meet President Reagan in the Oval Office. The date for this occasion was Tuesday, October 25, 1983.
It was a sunny, pleasant mid-fall morning at the White House. Trees sported rich autumn colors, deeply tinted late-year seasonal flowers were still in bloom as groundskeepers mowed the grounds, lush green grass. The President's Park is 18 acres around the White House. The settings are the oldest continually maintained ornamental landscape in the U.S. At 9 a.m., the IFA board members assembled at the Pennsylvania Ave gate to clear Secret Service security checks.
Just a couple of hours earlier, the U.S. covertly invaded the Island of Grenada. The military intervention was breaking news around the world at that very moment. Yet, as a group, we knew nothing of it. A guide escorted us to the West Wing lobby for visitors meeting with the President. It was then that we were told of the military action in Grenada. Unfortunately, President Reagan would be a no-show. He was a tad busy somewhere in the great house.
Elizabeth Dole hastily set up a meeting for us in the basement caverns of the building, and military and civilian representatives briefed us on the invasion's progress. Later, our group was given a private tour of the mansion and a trip to the Oval Office. The global franchise executives filled the office in front of the Resolute Desk, a gift from Queen Victoria in 1880. The 1,300-pound desk was built from oak timbers of the British Arctic exploration ship HMS Resolute.
Our guide noted significant room details. As non-uniformed Secret Service Agents looked on with their suit jackets unbuttoned, a group photo was taken by the White House photographer. It was a remarkable, breathtaking moment to conclude a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Later outside, everyone gathered on the circular drive at the north side of the White House, all contemplatively looking back at the mansion. Not a soul in my group felt anything less than astounded by what they had just witnessed and experienced. It was a moment that each individual memorialized for posterity.
I was called back to the visitor's lobby. Elizabeth Dole apologized for the augmented morning schedule. Of course, not meeting President Reagan was a disappointment. However, I was told that a picture of the President and another of Mrs. Reagan would be personally inscribed, signed, and sent to each board member. Included, would be a personal letter from the President thanking them for their visit, significant business contributions to the economy, and a sincere apology for not meeting with them.
My two photos of the President and Mrs. Reagan are included with this column. Note the unsteady hand of Nancy Reagan's signature. This photographic duo hangs on my office wall in SaddleBrooke to this day. Occasionally, I cast my eyes on these fading color timepieces of historical memories. I am taken back to that sunny October Tuesday, in 1983, when all heck broke loose at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue during a visit to the White House. The day the Dole family, Senator Robert Dole, Elizabeth Dole, and Robin Dole made my life a part of the pages of American history.
Award-winning writer Jerry Wilkerson lives in SaddleBrooke. He is a former press secretary for two U.S. Congressmen and a prior WBBM Chicago CBS Newsradio and Chicago Daily News correspondent. Wilkerson is a retired police commissioner and Navy veteran. Email: franchise@att.net.
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