Newspaper Articles


Charleston Daily Mail
April 18, 1960

Women's Notebook

Muriel Humphrey's Coffee Campaign Opened Today In State

By Claudette Rashid
Of The Daily Mail Staff

Soft-spoken Muriel Humphrey is at home over a coffee cup:be it at her linen-covered table or the back of her famous coffee wagon.

Spinning "homey" conversation, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Hubert H. Humphrey added her own innovation to West Virginia's presidential primary today.

She returned to the state, arriving in Charleston last evening from Hot Springs, Va., for a three-day state-wide coffee campaign in behalf of her husband.

Meets the Press

A press conference at the Daniel Boone Hotel this morning:at 7:30 a. m. to be exact:offered insight to the wife of Minnesota's loquacious senator.

This charming prematurely grey mother of four, who is traveling here with her two younger sons, is very apparently the senator's soft pedal.

Candidly, she answered reporters' questions as to her political interests.

A Listener

She said that she wasn't politically-conscious to begin with, but by listening to conversations along this vein, she eventually absorbed the facts and became much more aware.

"It sorts of sinks in. Something happens to you in politics. Our family has discussed this quite openly. Sometimes we voice our excitement, other times our fears.

"Things happens [sic] so fast that I wanted to be with Hubert as much as I could. It's a hectic life and if I stayed home, I would be left out of her experiences."

Her Idea

The coffee idea is Mrs. Humphrey's own. It started in Minnesota with hundreds of "coffees" served from her wagon to reach the independent women voters.

Campaigning for a seat in the Senate is far less hectic than the Presidency, she said, explaining that the Senate campaign is limited to the borders of the state. Her current campaign has her jumping states instead of counties.

Coffee Tour

After her press breakfast this morning, she left for visits in Clendenin, Gassaway, Sutton and Buckhannon en route to Clarksburg.

At Clarksburg tonight, she will attend a meeting and meet with Harrison County democratic candidates and at 9 p. m. participate in the formal opening of the northern W. Va. Humphrey Headquarters.

Tuesday takes her to Clarksburg neighborhoods, television interviews, on to Bridgeport, Grafton and Morgantown.

On Wednesday, after a press conference in Morgantown, she will visit the industrial plants in the area, travel on to Fairmont for the afternoon and wind up in the evening in Parkersburg.


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