Mike Dukakis, a three time governor of Massachusetts, was born in Brookline MA in 1933. He served in Korea and graduated in 1960 from Harvard Law School.
He won the Democratic nomination for President in 1988, a tough 16 month nomination fight against fellow Democrats, the charismatic Gary Hart and the eloquent Jesse Jackson and lost, against Bush41. It was a dirty campaign. Republican strategist Lee Atwater run the dirty campaign for Bush41. The Willy Horton ad, personal attacks on Mike, his wife and family resulted in his defeat. Susan Estrich fellow Harvard Alum, run his clean and honorable campaign focusing on economic issues. It was not enough.
His father Panos, from Mytilene, arrived in America,in 1913 with $25 dollars in his pocket and graduated from Harvard medical school in 1924.
His mom Euterpe Boukis, was from Zahorohoria in Epirus, arrived in America in 1913, without speaking a word of English and twelve years later she graduated from Bates with a Phi Beta Kappa key.
His wife Kitty Dukakis, married in 1963, got her M.A. from Boston University in 1982.
A lifelong fighter against racism and an ACLU member.
Olympia Dukakis, the Oscar winning actress for "Moonstruck" in 1987, is his cousin.
Excerpts from his nomination speech at the Democratic party convention, in Atlanta GA, on 7.21.1988 follow.
His immortal idealistic words: "Our greatest strength comes not from what we possess but from what we believe" are as true today as they were back then.
Excerpts from the outstanding book "Greek Americans: Struggle and Success" by Charles C. Moskos can be found here: http://books.google.com/books?id=mcTvNg77kp4C&pg=PA177&lpg=PA177&dq=panos+dukakis&source=web&ots=f8K8Yxu6t6&sig=RadSQpfZbGd-_24xjOn8gZuzT3I#PPA175,M1
Tags: Michael Dukakis Democrat Party Convention Nomination Greek Americans
