By GLYNIS HART
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NEWPORT – John Jokinen of Newport is full of stories. A graduate of Towle High School in 1959, Jokinen served four years in the U.S. Army and went to college at PanAmerican University in South Texas, studying art, architecture and geology. When President George Herbert Walker Bush passed away last week, Jokinen had a story to share:
“Our department chair, Bob Rogers, was president of the Young Republicans,” Jokinen remembered. “He invited George Herbert Walker Bush to speak.”
It was 1970 and Bush was running for Congress against Lloyd Bentsen. “After he gave his speech he asked for questions from the audience. No one asked a question, so I stood up. I had a question. Then no one stood up again, so I asked another question. This went on for 20 minutes or so,” said Jokinen.
On his way out of the hall, Bush asked Rogers to introduce them, so Jokinen got to meet him. He was impressed, as so many others, by the elder Bush’s graciousness. “He didn’t have to do that,” he said.
Thirty years later, another Bush was running for President. George W. Bush’s campaign trail took him by the fire station in Newport, where he spoke to a crowd of three or four hundred people. Jokinen got to meet him, too. “I showed him my Lone Star belt buckle and he asked if I’d been to Texas.”
Jokinen told him about going to college there, in a place called Edinburg. He was surprised that the younger Bush knew where it was.
“I ought to, I am governor,” said Bush.
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