With Father’s Day just around the corner, we wanted to send a shout-out to a very influential grandfather. The name Eldridge Cassidy may not be famous, but this modest Southerner had an outsized impact on the 42nd president of the United States.
When William Jefferson Blythe III was born in Hope, Arkansas, in 1946, his father had already died in a car accident several months before. So little Billy was raised by his mother Virginia and his maternal grandparents, Eldridge and Edith Cassidy. (He later took the name Clinton when his mother remarried.)
During Bill Clinton’s formative years Eldridge owned a small grocery store in an African American neighborhood of Hope. The store was one of the most integrated establishments in Hope, an otherwise segregated town. And Eldridge would serve anyone who shopped at his store, regardless of their race or background.
Bill Clinton credits his grandfather for his lifelong respect for all people, regardless of their race or background:
Clinton has described his grandfather as “the kindest man I have ever known,” instilling in the young boy the concepts of social justice, equality, dignity. Even after Eldridge’s early death of a heart attack, he kept his grandfather’s photograph on his desk.
When Clinton accepted the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in 1992, he honored Eldridge Cassidy this way:
For a fascinating exploration of the early years of President Bill Clinton, be sure to pay a visit to the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site in Hope. And pick up a copy of His Story Started in Hope, Arkansas at the park gift shop or online.
JNPA Blog 