41.7 F
Oxford

Alwyn Luckey Reflecting on Ole Miss, Politics and a Famous Mississippian

img_1816-2Alwyn Luckey is one of the most interesting individuals I have ever met in my life. Alwyn (what an unusual name) has more stories than the Saturday Evening Post. I crossed paths with the famous attorney and former Chairman of the MS State Personnel Board while campaigning in Orlando. Alwyn is married to the former Jeanne Carter who is the Republican National Committee woman from Mississippi.

Vassallo: Alwyn, for our readers who do not know you, tell us a brief synopsis of your political past and Ole Miss relationship.

Alwyn Luckey: Thanks Steve, I came to Ole Miss as a freshman in 1978 and graduated in ’82, and then went immediately on to law school and graduated from Ole Miss Law in 1985. I am a lifelong Republican and began my political involvement going door-to-door for Trent Lott in his first campaign for Congress. Back in 1968, my father was rather scandalously a “Democrat for Nixon,” and we have been Republicans ever since. As Governor Barbour admonishes, never trust a man who doesn’t marry above his station in life; and I took Governor Barbour at his word and married my wife Jeanne who has been a Republican Party superstar for many years, rising to the position of Republican National Committee woman from Mississippi. We both have worked in many presidential campaigns and are very grateful that work has come to fruition with a Trump victory.

Vassallo: What urged you to get involved with the Donald J. Trump campaign?

Alwyn Luckey: It became clear early on that Trump was something new and special under the political sun and that this was not a year where “establishment candidates” were going to be very popular. This was truly a change election, and Donald Trump was one of the only change candidates. In addition, people smarter than me predicted that many of the old Reagan democrats would come out of the woodwork to vote for Trump and, they were clearly right.

Vassallo: Your other home here in Oxford is a fascinating story in itself. Care to comment?

Alwyn Luckey: We are very fortunate to have good friends who have looked out for us over the years and one of those was Warner Alford former athletic director at Ole Miss. When they were building the new tower at the alumni house, we had originally committed to buy a suite. Unfortunately, the floor plan would not accommodate Jeanne’s use of a wheelchair. Warner, (not to be denied), found us some space in the old alumni house, which turned out to be perfectly acceptable for us. We are very grateful for Warner’s extra assistance in that regard. (Their condo overlooks the Grove)

Vassallo: Richard M. Nixon was one of my heroes in life. Fred LaRue was an interesting staffer of his. Could you share with us who Fred was?

Alwyn Luckey: Fred LaRue was an oil and gas millionaire who lived in the tiny village of Virginia City, Mississippi, about 10 miles north of the Gulf Coast. It was said that Fred made about thirty million dollars in the late fifties and early sixties, when 30 million dollars really meant something! But Fred was an early supporter of Richard Nixon and made substantial contributions to the Nixon campaign and met candidate Nixon when he visited Jackson, Mississippi, during the campaign period. At that time, he volunteered his help to Mr. Nixon, who it is reported rather breezily said, “sure love to have you on board after the election,” probably never giving it another thought. Fred had certainly taken Mr. Nixon at his word; and after the election, Fred moved himself and his longtime business secretary to Washington before the inauguration. Immediately after President Nixon was inaugurated, Fred drove straight to the White House and presented himself as a representative of the Nixon campaign and wandered around the White House until he found the Oval Office and established himself and his secretary in an office not too far down the hall. Later, when the actual Nixon transition staff arrived, the chief of staff asked “Who the hell are you?” and Fred replied “I’m Fred LaRue from Mississippi, and Mr. Nixon told me to come.” The chief of staff ordered Fred out of his office, as Fred refused. Later that day when Richard Nixon arrived, it was reported to the new president and Fred got to stay. Later of course, Fred proved his loyalty by being an unrepentant participant in the Watergate scandal and being among the first to go to prison for his president. Later in life, Fred refused to apologize for his participation in Watergate and was heard to say “My only regret was that they got caught!”

Vassallo: This is unbelievable! Could you have seen yourself ever taking such a leap?

Alwyn Luckey: I’d like to think that I had the audacity of Fred LaRue showing up at the White House and refusing to take no for an answer from such an imposing person as Bebe Rebozo; but as we sit here today, everyone is so thrilled with the Trump victory. I think it is incumbent upon all of us to join hands and help our new president as much as possible.

Vassallo: Why do you believe the pollsters missed the results varying between 3 and 8 points?

Alwyn Luckey: I think in retrospect, it’s two things that appear to be obvious. First, that many of the polls were clearly designed to “get what you pay for,” and the people sponsoring the polls did not want to announce a Trump lead a victory. Secondly, despite their protests to the contrary, it’s obvious that all professional pollsters missed the wave of Reagan Democrats or Blue Collar Democrats who turned out in droves in places like Pennsylvania and Michigan in order to give Trump an electoral victory.

Vassallo: What are the four biggest issues that are most important to you that President Trump could accomplish in his first term?

Alwyn Luckey: The first order of business is getting a true original intent Supreme Court Justice nominated and approved as quickly as possible. Secondly, honoring his most often repeated campaign promise of eliminating Obamacare and replacing it with a strong capitalist replacement that truly does provide Health Care for All American citizens. Thirdly, ridding the country of the Obama administration’s thousands of business destroying regulations and getting government out of our lives is very important in virtually all areas of government. Finally, the laws and regulations regarding banking must be loosened to allow banks to loan money again to all sorts of people, the current system absolutely causing severe slow down in the lending industry.

Vassallo: Reflecting back on your Ole Miss days, what was the most humorous thing that comes to mind that you’re free to mention?

Alwyn Luckey: Several of my fraternity brothers and I decided to take a late summer road trip to visit friends in Nashville. At the time, my father had loaned me his restored 1965 Ford Galaxie convertible, which everyone agreed would be the perfect car for the trip. We loaded up in the Ford but only made it about a block when the transmission refused to go any farther in drive. Not to be deterred, we put the car in reverse and were backing up Fraternity Row to park in front of the house and trade cars, when I over-corrected going in reverse and hit one of the University’s aluminum light poles. My fraternity brothers, ever faithful, ran off and deserted me, and I was left to explain to the University Police why I had backed into their very expensive light pole. After much discussion, it was determined I would have to pay for the pole. Thank goodness they did not follow through on that threat. Many years later, at my wedding, one of the fraternity brothers who abandoned me decided to tell the story, and my father heard for the first time that I had damaged his beloved Ford Galaxie and never told him!

Vassallo: We understand your daughter is pursuing a career in New York City, presently. This should be of interest to a great number of our readers.

Alwyn Luckey: Our oldest daughter is pursuing her dream of working in fashion in New York City. She loves New York and has now been working in fashion for about two years. Unfortunately, what we really discovered about working in fashion is it doesn’t pay terribly well.

Vassallo: Last but not least, place these presidents in order of your fondness. 

Alwyn Luckey:
1. Ronald Reagan 2. Dwight D. Eisenhower 3. George W. Bush 4. Richard Nixon 
5. Gerald Ford 6. Teddy Roosevelt 7. Bill Clinton 8. Jimmy Carter


Steve VassalloSteve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.

Follow HottyToddy.com on InstagramTwitter and Snapchat @hottytoddynews. Like its Facebook page: If You Love Oxford and Ole Miss…

Most Popular

Recent Comments

scamasdscamith on News Watch Ole Miss
Frances Phillips on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Grace Hudditon on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Millie Johnston on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Binary options + Bitcoin = $ 1643 per week: https://8000-usd-per-day.blogspot.com.tr?b=46 on Beta Upsilon Chi: A Christian Brotherhood
Jay Mitchell on Reflections: The Square
Terry Wilcox SFCV USA RET on Oxford's Five Guys Announces Opening Date
Stephanie on Throwback Summer
organized religion is mans downfall on VP of Palmer Home Devotes Life to Finding Homes for Children
Paige Williams on Boyer: Best 10 Books of 2018
Keith mansel on Cleveland On Medgar Evans
Debbie Nader McManus on Cofield on Oxford — Lest We Forget
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: The Last of His Kind
Richard Burns on A William Faulkner Sighting
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Ruby Begonia on Family Catching Rebel Fever
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
jeff the busy eater on Cooking With Kimme: Baked Brie
Travis Yarborough on Reflections: The Square
BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH on Oxford is About to Receive a Sweet Treat
baby travel systems australia on Heaton: 8 Southern Ways to Heckle in SEC Baseball
Rajka Radenkovich on Eating Oxford: Restaurant Watch
Richard Burns on Reflections: The Square
Guillermo Perez Arguello on Mississippi Quote Of The Day
A Friend with a Heavy Heart on Remembering Dr. Stacy Davidson
Harold M. "Hal" Frost, Ph.D. on UM Physical Acoustics Research Center Turns 30
Educated Citizen on Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving
Debbie Crenshaw on Trump’s Tough Road Ahead
Treadway Strickland on Wicker Looks Ahead to New Congress
Tony Ryals on parking
Heather Lee Hitchcock on ‘Pray for Oxford’ by Shane Brown
Heather Lee Hitchcock on ‘Pray for Oxford’ by Shane Brown
Dr Donald and Priscilla Powell on Deadly Plane Crash Leaves Eleven Children Behind
Dr Donald and Priscilla Powell on Deadly Plane Crash Leaves Eleven Children Behind
C. Scott Fischer on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Sylvia Williams on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Will Patterson on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Rick Henderson on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
George L Price on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
on
Morgan Shands on Cleveland: On Ed Reed
Richard McGraw on Cleveland: On Cissye Gallagher
Branan Southerland on Gameday RV Parking at HottyToddy.com
Tom and Randa Baddley on Vassallo: Ole Miss Alum Finds His Niche
26 years and continuously learning on Ole Miss Puts History In Context With Plaque
a Paterson on Beyond Barton v. Barnett
Phil Higginbotham on ‘Unpublished’ by Shane Brown
Bettina Willie@www.yahoo.com.102Martinez St.Batesville,Ms.38606 on Bomb Threat: South Panola High School Evacuated This Morning
Anita M Fellenz, (Emilly Hoffman's CA grandmother on Ole Miss Spirit Groups Rank High in National Finals
Marilyn Moore Hughes on Vassallo: Ole Miss Alum Finds His Niche
Jaqundacotten@gmail williams on HottyToddy Hometown: Hollandale, Mississippi
Finney moore on Can Ole Miss Grow Too Big?
diane faulkner cawlley on Oxford’s Olden Days: Miss Annie’s Yard
Phil Higginbotham on ‘November 24’ by Shane Brown
Maralyn Bullion on Neely-Dorsey: Hog Killing Time
Beth Carr on A Letter To Mom
Becky on A Letter To Mom
Marilyn Tinnnin on A Letter To Mom
Roger ulmer on UM Takes Down State Flag
Chris Pool on UM Takes Down State Flag
TampaRebel on UM Takes Down State Flag
david smith on UM Takes Down State Flag
Boyd Harris on UM Takes Down State Flag
Jim (Herc @ UM) on Cleveland: Fall Vacations
Robert Hollingsworth on Rebels on the Road: Memphis Eateries
David McCullough on Shepard Leaves Ole Miss Football
Gayle G. Henry on Meet Your 2015 Miss Ole Miss
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on Neely-Dorsey: Elvis Presley’s Big Homecoming
Jennifer Mooneyham on ESPN: Ole Miss No. 1 in Nation
Wes McIngvale on Ole Miss Defeats Alabama
BARRY MCCAMMON on Ole Miss Defeats Alabama
Laughing out Loud on ESPN: Ole Miss No. 1 in Nation
Dr.Bill Priester on Cleveland: On Bob Priester
A woman who has no WHITE PRIVILEGE on Oxford Removes Mississippi Flag from City Property
A woman who has no WHITE PRIVILEGE on Oxford Removes Mississippi Flag from City Property
paulette holmes langbecker on Cofield on Oxford – Rising Ole Miss Rookie
Ruth Shipp Yarbrough on Cofield on Oxford — Lest We Forget
Karllen Smith on ‘Rilee’ by Shane Brown
Jean Baker Pinion on ‘The Cool Pad’ by Shane Brown
Janet Hollingsworth (Cavanaugh) on John Cofield on Oxford: A Beacon
Proud Mississippi Voter on Gunn Calls for Change in Mississippi Flag
Deloris Brown-Thompson on Bebe’s Letters: A WWII Love Story
Sue Ellen Parker Stubbs on Bebe’s Letters: A WWII Love Story
Tim Heaton on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Tim Heaton on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Karen fowler on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Don't Go to Law School on Four Legal Rebels Rising in the Real World
bernadette on Feeding the Blues
bernadette on Feeding the Blues
Joanne and Mark Wilkinson on Ron Vernon: a Fellowship of Music
Mary Ellen (Dring) Gamble on Ron Vernon: a Fellowship of Music
Cyndy Carroll on Filming it Up in Mississippi
Dottie Dewberry on Top 10 Secret Southern Sayings
Brother Everett Childers on ‘The Shack’ by Shane Brown
Mark McElreath on ‘The Shack’ by Shane Brown
Bill Wilkes, UM '57, '58, '63 on A Letter from Chancellor Dan Jones
Sandra Caffey Neal on Mississippi Has Proud Irish Heritage
Teresa Enyeart, and Terry Enyeat on Death of Ole Miss Grad, U.S. Vet Stuns Rebel Nation
P. D. Fyke on Wells: Steelhead Run
Johnny Neumann on Freeze Staying with Rebels
Maralyn Bullion on On Cooking Southern: Chess Pie
Kaye Bryant on Henry: E. for Congress
charles Eichorn on Hotty Tamales, Gosh Almighty
Jack of All Trades on Roll Over Bear Bryant
w nadler on Roll Over Bear Bryant
Stacey Berryhill on Oxford Man Dies in Crash
John Appleton on Grovin' Gameday Memories
Charlotte Lamb on Grovin' Gameday Memories
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on Two True Mississippi Icons
Morgan Williamson on A College Education is a MUST
Morgan Williamson on A College Education is a MUST
Jeanette Berryhill Wells on HottyToddy Hometown: Senatobia, Mississippi
Tire of the same ole news on 3 "Must Eat" Breakfast Spots in Oxford
gonna be a rebelution on Walking Rebel Fans Back Off the Ledge
Nora Jaccaud on Rickshaws in Oxford
Martha Marshall on Educating the Delta — Or Not
Nita McVeigh on 'I'm So Oxford' Goes Viral
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on How a Visit to the Magnolia State Can Inspire You
Charlie Fowler Jr. on Prawns? In the Mississippi Delta?
Martha Marshall on A Salute to 37 Years of Sparky
Sylvia Hartness Williams on Oxford Approves Diversity Resolution
Jerry Greenfield on Wine Tip: Problem Corks
Cheryl Obrentz on I Won the Lottery! Now What?
Bnogas on Food for the Soul
Barbeque Memphis on History of Tennessee Barbecue
Josephine Bass on The Delta and the Civil War
Nicolas Morrison on The Walking Man
Pete Williams on Blog: MPACT’s Future
Laurie Triplette on On Cooking Southern: Fall Veggies
Harvey Faust on The Kream Kup of the Krop
StarReb on The Hoka
Scott Whodatty Keetereaux Keet on Hip Hop — Yo or No, What’s Your Call
Johnathan Doeman on Oxford Man Dies in Crash
Andy McWilliams on The Warden & The Chief
Kathryn McElroy on Think Like A Writer
Claire Duff Sullivan on Alert Dogs Give Diabetics Peace of Mind
Jesse Yancy on The Hoka
Jennifer Thompson Walker on Ole Miss, Gameday From The Eyes of a Freshman
HottyToddy.com