Richard norton smith, why did you call your book that you wrote 35 years ago uncommon man . Well, its taken, actually, from the title of a relatively famous hoover speech about the uncommon man. Remember, Vice President henry wallace, who was the second of fdrs Vice President s, gave a famous speech in 1942, i believe, maybe43, about the century of the common man. And wallace, from a left of center perspective, was projecting, in effect, the goals and ambitions of the generation that was fighting world war ii. And it wasnt enough simply to defeat the nazis, but to create at home a true democracy. A place where the common man would finally come into his own. And hoover approached this from a different place on the political spectrum. He was, in effect, making the case for what we might call a meritocracy. But something to say, that i shouldnt paraphrase it, but, you know, when you get sick, you want an uncommonly skillful doctor. When we go to war, we want an uncommonly able general. Yo
L. A. Times covering the trials for the officers and the beating o. J. Dney king and then the simpson case. He always wrote with amazing speed and great pelicans. I got to know him in another capacity in the late 1990s when he was covering the charter reform process in los angeles as part of covering city government. I was chairing an elected commission in los angeles to revise the city charter. I saw not only was he amazingly talented but a reporter of incredible integrity. He believed the Los Angeles Times was not devoting enough to reform and quit his position in protest of this. He put his very job on the line because he believed in the importance of stories. Atthen as now was a star the times, and as a result, they gave tremendous attention to charter reform. I will always believe charter reform succeeded because of what jim newton did. A few years ago, he mentioned to me he was planning on taking time off to do a biography of earl warren. I thought it was a great idea, and that i
Richard norton smith, why did you call your book that you wrote 35 years ago uncommon man . Well, its taken actually from the title of a relatively famous hoover speech about the uncommon man. If you remember, Vice President henry wallace, who was the second of fdrs Vice President s, gave a famous speech in 1942, i believe, maybe 43, about the censure of the common man. And wallace from a leftofcenter perspective was projecting, in effect, the goals and ambitions of the generation that was fighting world war ii. And it wasnt enough simply to defeat the nazis, but to create at home a true democracy, a place where the common man would finally come into his own. And hoover approached this from a different place in the political spectrum. He was in effect making the case for what we might call meritocracy. But some think i shouldnt paraphrase it. But you know, when you get sick, you want an uncommonly skillful doctor. When we go to war, we want an uncommonly able general. You get the pictu
This week on q a, president ial historian Richard Norton smith discusses his book, an uncommon man the triumph of Herbert Hoover. Richard norton smith, why did you call your book that you wrote 35 years ago uncommon man . Well, its taken actually from the title of a relatively famous hoover speech about the uncommon man. If you remember, Vice President henry wallace, who was the second of fdrs Vice President s, gave a famous speech in 1942, maybe 43, about the century of the common man, and wallace from a left of center perspective, was projecting in effect, the goals and ambitions of the generation that was fighting world war ii. And it wasnt enough simply to defeat the nazis, but to create, at home, a true democracy. A place where the common man would finally come into his own. And hoover approached this from a different place in the political spectrum. He was, in effect, making the case for what we might call a meritocracy. I shouldnt paraphrase it, but when you get sick, you want a
Did you call your book that you wrote 35 years ago, uncommon man . Richard its taken actually from the title of a relatively famous hoover speech about the uncommon man. Remember Vice President henry wallace, who was the second of fdrs Vice President s, gave a famous speech in 1942, i believe, maybe 1943, about the century of the common man. And wallace, from a left of center perspective, was projecting the goals and ambitions of the generation that was fighting world war ii. It wasnt enough simply to the nazis, but to create at home a true democracy, a place where the common man would finally come into his own. And hoover approached this from a different place on the political spectrum. He was in effect making the case for what we might call a meritocracy. I should not paraphrase it, but when you get sick, you want an uncommonly skillful doctor. When we go to war, we want an uncommonly able general. You get the picture. The advances in society were brought about not by common, but by