‘Boy Governor ‘Stassen, 89, Offers to Run as Dole’s Veep

Harold Stassen, the frequent Republican presidential candidate who is now 89 but once was known as the “boy governor” of Minnesota, is throwing his hat into the ring once again--this time as a possible running mate for Bob Dole.

Stassen said he was “tired of this negative talk” about people not wanting to run with the Republican presidential challenger and thought he would offer a positive tone by offering himself as a choice for Dole’s ticket-mate.

“The fact that I am 89 and continuing to work productively should provide some support to Sen. Robert Dole’s view that he is young enough to be a successful president,” Stassen said of Dole, at 72 a virtual youngster by comparison.

“I am confident that a poll of public opinion would show that a Dole-Stassen ticket could win in November,” he said.

In 1948--his first run--Stassen was considered a serious candidate for the Republican nomination. He was knocked out of the race in the Oregon primary when he lost to Thomas Dewey, who went on to win the nominee before losing to President Harry S. Truman.

In 1952, Stassen helped persuade Dwight Eisenhower to enter the Republican race; he ended up winning the presidency. Stassen served in various posts through the Eisenhower administration.

After Eisenhower left office, Stassen often entered the presidential race but was not taken seriously. He won the nickname “the boy governor” when he was first elected to lead Minnesota at age 31.