The running mate drops out, 45 years ago

On July 31st in 1972, Sen. Thomas Eagleton of Missouri resigned as the Democratic nominee for vice president.  Eagleton had been on the ticket with George McGovern for less than three weeks, but his mental health was in question after he admitted to getting psychiatric treatment three times for depression.  The McGovern camp was convinced that the Eagleton scandal was taking attention away from other issues in the race to unseat President Richard Nixon.  Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson sat in on a meeting with McGovern and Eagleton that night, but Nelson said he didn’t want to run for VP.  However, Gov. Pat Lucey said he probably would accept a draft if he were asked.
 
Milwaukee native Arthur Bremer was convicted of attempted murder that week.  Bremer had stalked Gov. George Wallace on the campaign trail before shooting him in Maryland on May 15th, confining Wallace to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.  Bremer was sentenced to 63 years in prison.  He was released in 2007.
 
Former La Crosse Central teacher and coach Walter “Babe” Weigent died that July…the same month that the old Central building on Cass Street was torn down.  The block was turned into a park eventually named after Weigent, and a statue of Babe in that park was dedicated just this month.  We said goodbye to Babe and the school in 1972…yesterday in La Crosse.