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When I came to Washington in 1969, I worked for Don Fraser, Congressman from Minneapolis. I stayed close to him & his late wife Arvonne for decades after. Don was a man of moral stature, a brilliant political mind with deep values. He headed the Dem Study Grp at a critical ttime
He spearheaded the reforms that changed seniority and opened up Congress. With Ben Rosenthal and Don Edwards, he made human rights a keystone of American foreign policy. He created Washington’s Advisory Neighborhood Councils. He became a pathbreaking mayor of Mpls.
Don and Arvonne were a remarkable couple; she pushed for womens’ rights against a massive headwind before most, and was his partner in everything. Don and Arvonne lost two children, and reached out to me and my family when we lost Matthew. Whenever I went back to speak at UM,
They were there. When I worked for Don, I had a desk in his personal office; he neve once asked me to leave as he hosted other members, dignitaries and more. My love for Congress and politics, my reverence for our system, was shaped in significant part by him.
He lost most of his hearing in recent years,and so we could not have the same conversations, but he remained a vibrant man, concerned as the rest of us with the threat of Trump and a rogue GOP. Don Fraser made a difference. What a legacy! Modest, unflamboyant, and a giant. RIP.
