Fred Harris: Why I Beat Bud Wilkinson In '64

Former Oklahoma U. S. Senator Fred R. Harris, now a novelist and emeritus professor of political science at the University of New Mexico, says he defeated popular former University of Oklahoma football coach Bud Wilkinson in their 1964 race because Wilkinson's "understanding of government was really rather shallow." Harris made the comment in an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The article focuses on pro football star Lynn Swann's campaign for governor and how name recognition has propelled him. "In terms of visibility, Mr. Swann may be on equal footing with the governor (Ed Rendell). But former U. S. Senator Fred Harris, the man who defeated Bud Wilkinson in Oklahoma, says name recognition alone cannot carry a sports figure in a statewide election." Harris said Wilkinson was "a strong right-winger, almost a Bircher. He started giving speeches about why Rome fell, and said it was because the people got hooked on welfare. I said I'd done my own research and found that Rome fell because people got too carried away with sports and gladiators in arenas. It was kind of bad history, but no worse than Wilkinson's." The article notes that Wilkinson integrated the OU football team by giving a scholarship to Prentice Gautt and during the campaign, Gautt toured black neighborhoods to support Wilkinson. Then, Harris said, Wilkinson had South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, a staunch segregationist, campaign for him. Harris said, "He brought in the strongest racist in the Senate when the polls showed we were splitting the black vote 50-50. By the end I was getting nine of every 10 of those votes." Harris said he backed President Lyndon Johnson and challenged Wilkinson to disclose his choice for president. Wilkinson endorsed Barry Goldwater. Johnson beat Goldwater in Oklahoma by 107,000 votes and Harris beat Wilkinson by 21,000 votes.

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