Sioux Falls woman attended 1968 DNC

SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — This week’s Democratic National Convention has brought back bittersweet memories to a Sioux Falls woman of another convention held in Chicago.

Rita Sorenson was an enthusiastic supporter of Vice-President Hubert Humphrey when she attended the 1968 DNC.

But the constant threat of violence during that convention meant Sorenson never strayed far from her personal bodyguard.

Sorenson often feels in the political minority as a longtime Democrat.

“Being a Democrat in South Dakota is not very much fun,” Sorenson laughed.

But back in 1968, Sorenson, who was living in Minnesota then, joined thousands of her fellow Democrats attending their party’s national convention in Chicago. Sorenson’s husband at the time was a campaign aide to Vice-President Hubert Humphrey. Sorenson has fond memories of Humphrey, who would go on to win his party’s nomination for president.

“I just loved him, he was so kind and so gentle. It was so nice to interact with him because he was so kind,” Sorenson.

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But the convention was marred by violent confrontations between police and protesters demonstrating against the Vietnam War.

“It was a very scary time,” Sorenson said.

But the violence wasn’t limited to the streets of Chicago. CBS newsman Dan Rather was roughed-up by security guards while trying to interview a delegate on the convention floor.

“I know you won’t but don’t push me! Take your hands off me unless you plan to arrest me,” Rather said in 1968.

Sorenson was even assigned her own bodyguard during the convention.

“Any time we went outdoors or got in an elevator or whatever, we were always protected. It was a good convention, but it was quite scary with the fact that there was so much rioting going on,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson says she’s much less politically-engaged these days and hasn’t followed the events of this week’s DNC that included protests by mostly peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstrators. A sharp contrast from the violence that erupted during her time in Chicago, 56 years ago.

“And that was such a strange, strange thing for me, because I was from Minnesota,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson says her bodyguard wore a uniform and was armed.

She says she could hear the rioting taking place, but for safety reasons, was never allowed to get close enough to witness the rioting.

Her candidate, Hubert Humphrey, would go on to lose to Republican Richard Nixon in the 1968 presidential election.