Audio Text: James A. Michener as Politician

After losing his election for Congress, Michener remained very active in public affairs for over 25 years. Few people realize how truly serious Michener was about the run for Congress. He said afterwards that the defeat was the greatest disappointment of his life. If he had won the election, or if a challenging and appropriate political appointment had come his way, it's possible that he would never have done any serious writing again.

In this exhibit, you can see various objects from Michener's Congressional Campaign in 1962. One of the objects includes the democratic ballot. See if you can you identify the former president who is shaking hands with Michener featured on one of the objects in the display.