An Ongoing Competitive Spirit

In no way am I a self-made man. Through the self-sacrificing devotion of my parents, George and Margaret, I joined the American Political Items Collectors in1967. Due to my botched birth I have Cerebral Palsy but that never kept me from loving the competitiveness of political collecting. With the sponsorship of Blanche Pryor I became APIC member 1292 and have retained that membership number for 55 years. More than collecting buttons I value my close friendships with APIC members including Blanche, Ray and Lynda Pryor. For over twenty years then APIC secretary / treasurer Don Coney and I corresponded with each other. While attending the Hartford national convention I had the privilege of visiting Don's famous basement collection. While doing so I was stung by a bee, which added a special 'sting' to my visit. With my Parent's encouragement I attended various local, regional and national APIC meetings. Roodhouse, Illinois was the most special destination.

There I spent a week with my beloved friend John Bowen, his wife Barbara and their son Josh. One day John and I took a journey to the grave of the reformer Mother Jones. Her grave was surrounded by those of miners, As we read the birth and extremely foreshortened death dates on their humble graves the enormity of the miners' plight, which Mother Jones struggled to improve, made a lasting impression on John and myself.

My parents made possible my attendance of Valley College and my graduation from California State University, Northridge. Robert F. Kennedy spoke on an elevated platform at CSUN during his campaign of 1968. With my mother’s assistance I climbed the platform's scaffolding. Jesse Unruh helped me climb over the railing. From there I went over and briefly talked with Robert Kennedy. In 1971 my mother and I participated in a Peace March from Glide Memorial Church to the Polo Grounds in San Francisco. When we reached the crest of the numerous hills, to the rear and forward was a ribbon of people, including GIs against the war, who were marching for peace.

Due to my own declining health, I now live at the independent living center Park Ventura, in Woodland Hills. My hope is that the next generation of collectors gets as much joy and intellectual fulfillment from the acquisition of items from my collection as inspired me.

Bill Hoffman APIC #1292