Primary Vault: Undergrad ‘Gets Clean for Gene’ in ’68 (WMUR)

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Edward “Terry” Shumaker III ’70, in an interview for WMUR’s “NH Primary Vault” political series, reflects on his time as a Dartmouth undergraduate volunteering for Sen. Eugene McCarthy’s 1968 Democratic primary campaign.

Shumaker, a Manchester lawyer who co-chaired Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign in the state, recalls 1968 at Dartmouth as the foundation of his passion for politics. Dartmouth students and young people from across the nation became the ground troops for McCarthy’s insurgent campaign that finished a close second to incumbent President Lyndon Johnson, says Schumaker.

Young people canvassed the state for the anti-Vietnam war candidate with a rallying cry of “Get Clean for Gene.” Shumaker called the ’68 contest, which likely led to Johnson’s decision not to seek reelection, the most consequential primary in modern history.

See the full video, posted 12/10/15 by WMUR.

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