Evening star., 1952-07-27
The Stevenson Story
Political Seers View Nominee
As Kind of Prairie Roosevelt

He has called politics "the
noblest career anyone can choose" !"
He made it clear he wasn't talk
ing about shoddy, even corrupt
ward practices on election day,
or blind, vengeful partisanship.
People are "sick and tired" of
old fashioned political fencing, he
says, and don't care much about
party labels.
He contends they want honest.
sincere courageous performance. !"
and that if they don't get it,
they'll change managers.
He tried to give substance to
these expressions in organizing
and directing the State admins
tration in 1949. At the outset, he
called for a government con-
secrated to plain talk, hard work
and prairie horse sense"
Called On Republicans.
AS a political novice, Gov.
Stevenson had comparatively few
strong party ties and installed
Republicans in some key positions.
The major achievements of his
administration were voted by one
legislature controlled by Repub-
licans in both branches, and a
second under divided Republican,
Democratic control.
Politics runs in Gov. Stevenson's S
family. His great-grandfather was
Jesse w. Fell. Illinois pioneer,
abolitionist and a close friend and
backer of Abraham Lincoln for
President.
His paternal grandfather, Adlai
E. Stevenson, was Vice President
of the United States from 1893 to
1897 under Grover Cleveland, went
down to defeat as William Jen-
nings Bryan's running mate in
1900.> His father, Lewis Green
Stevenson was an Illinois Secre-
tary of State.
This heritage also accounts for
the keen sense of public duty in
Adlai, whose given name comes
from the Old Testament and is
thought to mean THE JUST
(Adlai is pronounced "Ad-lay,"
with the accent on the first syl-
lable).
Native of California.
Although reared in the heart of
the Illinois corn country, Gov.
Stevenson was born in California,
Feb. S, 1900. His birth came dur
ing a brief stay of his family on
the Pacific Coast. His parents had
left the permanent family resi-
dence in the Midwest so Adlais
father could bolster his health.
For a while, Lewis Stevenson
managed Arizona gold and copper
mines for Phoebe Apperson Hearst,
whose deceased husband, Senator
George Hearst, had been q WASH
ington friend of the first Adali E.
Stevenson when he was Vice Presi-
dent. Lewis Stevenson then went
to Los Angeles, young Adlai's
birthplace, as assistant business
manager of The Examiner. The
newspaper was property of the
late William Randolph. Hearst, q
son of the Senator.
Returns to Illinois.
The Stevenson family migrated
back to Bloomington, ILL.,, within
the year.
: While his father managed farms,
young Adlai grew to boyhood. He
had one sister, Elizabeth, two
years older, and no brothers.
During those years, Adlai ac-
quired a reputation for good de-
pertinent. He developed into
serious, sensitive lad.
His mother, Helen Davis Steven
son. gave him lessons in their
large. comfortable home until
Adlai was nine. She read to her
children from the novels of Char
les Dickens, William Makepeace
Thackeray and Sir Walter Scott,
and told stories from Greek
mythology.
This instruction left a literary
imprint that shows through today
in the eloquence of his speeches.
Attended Swiss School.
Adlai's father was doing well,
and took his family south in the
winter and to Charlevoix, Michi-
gan resort on Lake Michigan, in
the summer.
In 1912, the family went abroad
and Adlai attended classes in
Lausanne, Switzerland.
Three years earlier he had
begun formal schooling in Bloom
ington. Because Adlai, then g.,
was out of step with other young
sters. Frictions resulted. Adlai has
a glass" nose and it was broken
three times in boyhood fights. I'll
is still out of alignment.
THE second article, tomorrow,
covers Gov. Stevenson's career
up 10 World War H.