Book Launch – Dennis P. Crawford & Dr. Laura J. Crawford – Robert F. Kennedy: The Road Not Taken From Nebraska to the White House

Join us on Wednesday, December 18th at 5:30 as we welcome authors, Dennis P. Crawford and Dr. Laura J. Crawford.  Their new book “Robert F. Kennedy: The Road Not Taken From Nebraska to the White House” reflects on the campaign trail that brought Robert F. Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy to Nebraska.

To Order a Copy of the Book call Francie & Finch Bookshop at 402-781-0459

About the Book:
The Nebraska Democratic primary mattered in 1968. Because only fifteen states held primaries, Robert F. Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy made the state a high priority. Before the reforms of the 1970s, most delegates to the national convention were selected in conventions and caucuses in which party leaders controlled the outcome. The candidates campaigned extensively in Nebraska to prove to the party bosses that they could carry farm states in the general election. The Kennedy and McCarthy campaigns began to organize in Nebraska in early 1968. Both candidates campaigned hard in Nebraska. McCarthy literally worked himself into a state of exhaustion. Nebraska brought out the best in Kennedy, and he brought out the best in Nebraska voters. He gave a hydrocephalic baby love at the Beatrice State Home and scolded draft-dodging students at Creighton University. Kennedy was genuinely concerned about the future of a school-age Black girl he met in north Omaha. Kennedy defeated McCarthy by a decisive 52 percent to 31 percent margin. This big win put Kennedy on the path to the Democratic nomination and the White House. Read the book to learn more this history.

About the Authors:
Dennis P. Crawford was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representative in 2014. A lifelong resident of Lincoln, Nebraska, Dennis earned his undergraduate degree in political science at Creighton University in 1982 and his law degree at the Catholic University of America in 1985. He returned to his hometown after he graduated from law school and practiced law in the Nebraska courts between 1986–2023. Dennis was a trial lawyer who represented people who were injured in accidents. Crawford’s run for Congress was emblematic of his lifetime of interest in government and politics. Ever since returning from law college in Washington, D.C., Dennis has been politically active in Nebraska politics. He served as Second Associate Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party between 2012 and 2016. Dennis is married to Diane, and they have three adult children and one grandson.  He enjoys spending his free time following the Nebraska Cornhusker football team.

Dr. Laura J. Crawford is the Assistant State Archaeologist at the Nebraska Historical Society in Lincoln. Dr. Crawford earned her undergraduate degree in anthropology at Creighton University, her Master’s degree in archaeology from the University of Alaska, and her doctorate in archaeology from The Ohio State University in 2020. In addition to working as an archaeologist in Nebraska, Dr. Crawford has performed extensive fieldwork in Alaska. She has also worked as an archaeologist in New Mexico, Iowa, Ohio, Hawaii, and Guam. When she is not doing archaeology or writing, Dr. Crawford enjoys spending time with her husband Ben and son Harlan.They like to visit the museums in town just like she did when she was growing up in Lincoln!