Former Washington Governor Dies At 101

The man whom I credit my love of politics, former Washington  Governor Al Rosssellini has passed away at 101.  My parents, who were active in the Democratic party, took me to a rally for him in Walla Walla's Pioneer Park in 1964 where I would meet him.  At the time,Rossellini was staging what would be an unsuccessful attempt for a third term in the state house.  Rossellini lost that year to a young Republican state legislator named Dan Evans.  Evans would himself serve 3 terms beating Rossellini in a rematch in 1972   Rossellini was the first Italian-American and first Roman Catholic west of the Mississippi to be elected governor and the oldest living former governor at the time of his death. 
He had the distinction of being governor during the Seattle World's Fair in 1962.