Did My Father Help Tom Lantos Rise In Congress?

The Late Tom Lantos, had a lengthy and productive career representing the San Francisco Bay area in the U. S. House Of Representatives. This post on the abarer blog talks about a meeting my Dad had with powerful Congressman Tom Foley that may have jumpstarted Mr. Lantos' career.


"On a warm spring day Congressman Tom Foley visited Democratic campaign Headquarters in Walla Walla. Most people were mowing lawns and other rites of early spring and as I sat next to Tom who was then Majority Whip we spoke of my former college roommate, Tom Lantos, a newly elected member of the house.I related this story to him. One morning as Mr. Baruch entered his office adjacent to the stock market floor he was greeted by an earnest young man who handed him a letter. The missive was from a dear friend of his mother. It explained that the young man, her son, was looking forward to a career on Wall Street and any help the well known Wizard could give him would be appreciated.Baruch took the boy by the arm. He explained the he was heading for the men's room at the far end of the floor. You will go with me as far as the door giving me an update on everything your family is doing in a very sincere manner.Because you are with me every eye will be on you. If you you can't take it from there, you will never make it on the Street.The next time I saw Tom Foley he reported that he followed up on our conversation encountering Tom Lantos in the House Cloak Room during a break. He invited him to sit near the entrance where all could see them and the future Speaker of the House and the freshman member had an earnest discussion about-----me.I never heard the follow up on Baruch's young man but Tom Lantos during his lifetime became a world class legislative inspiration"