'31 Morris Graduate May
Face Dirksen for
Senate Seat

By PETE DOBINSKY ;
Oneonta Bureau Chief
Morris—Draper Daniels, who always was confident
of his success, may become the first Democrat
from Otsego County to occupy a seat in the U. S.
Senate. -^——-—— ~—-
The 48-year-old advertising
executive hasn't been back
here for some time, but
friends in "the old home
town" are watching his career
with interest.
Out in Chicago, Mr. Daniels
Is being boosted as a Democratic
candidate to oppose the
Junior senator from Illinois,
Republican Everett M. Dirksen.
In private life, he is chairman
of the Executive Committee of Leo Burnett, Inc., one
of the nation's largest advertising
agencies.
Before being promoted a
few months ago, Mr. Daniels
was for many years executive
vice-president in charge of the
agency's creative services.
He was graduated from
Morris High School in 1931
and later was a member of
the Otsego County Democratic
Committee.'
His mother, Mrs. Fannie
Daniels, was a teacher at the
school.
Supervising Principal Warren
Ryther of Morris Central
School said yesterday "she
was one of the grand old
teachers here, before she retired
and moved to California."
Latest achievements of Mr.
Daniels are heralded by Printer's
Ink, a magazine of the advertising
profession.
The magazine says Mr. Daniels
has been rather quiet
about his political activities,
adding that his possible draft
as a Democratic candidate for
the U. S. Senate has come as
a surprise.
"Some people asked if I
would run if nominated," Mr.
Daniels is quoted as saying,
"I told them I would."
"Suddenly a committee was
formed, letters began going
out, and publicity started appearing,"
he continued. "At
the moment it still is merely
a lot of noise."
"I do not have wide political
connections downstate (in
Illinois) and not too many in
the Chicago area outside of
the county where I live..
"If this had been my idea I
would already have been
working on it for more than
a year,." Mr. Daniels asserted.
In 1956, he was,a delegate
to the Democratic National
Convention. He was cochairman
of Illinois Business and
Professional Men for Kennedy-
Johnson last year.
The magazine also reports:
"Although he denies serious
political aspirations, Daniels
has visited Chicago's Mayor
Richard Daley, Democratic
high potentate In Illinois.
«• 'I went not to ask his
support,' Daniels said, 'but to
Show him what I look like in
case I should get the nomination.
"'Mayor Daley encouraged
me somewhat by inviting me
to appear before the slate-
making committee in about a
month.'"
The magazine continues:
"An articulate, engaging
and forceful speaker, Daniels
has demonstrated at advertising
conventions that he delights
in smashing icons and
directing barbs where he
thinks they are needed.
"Recognized as one of the
great creative men in advertising,
he now is talking like
a political candidate.
"Of Dirksen, he said, «i
would be running against our
junior senator, and I think 1
could beat him.
" Dirksen is an extremely
astute politician, with an
alert, quick mind, but I don't
think he has an idea of what
the country ought to do,
where it ought to be, and
where it ought to go.
" 'I believe, too, that a man
can be on both sides of the
fence too long. I think the
country is in trouble and I
think it could use a few ideas.
I consider myself an idea
man."'
His ideas were evident back
in this Otsego County community,
where he was educated
and attended Zion Episcopal
Church.
Some of the folks, including
' Merrltt Bridges, believe that
he's one of the biggest, success
stories ever to stem from Morris.
With his mother, Mr. Daniels
lived in a West Street
dwelling now occupied by the
family of Harold Crumb. His
father, who was with the U. S.
Geodetic Survey, died when
he was very young.
In the yearbook of the
Class of '31, his nickname is
"Drape," and the motto under
his name reads, "Deeds Survive
the Doers."
Mr. Daniels finished high
school in 3 1/2 years, during
which he played baseball, was
in dramatics, and won scholastic
achievement awards in
English, history and mathematics.
He went to Syracuse University