40 years later, another convention amid war

Wright, then 45, was a U.S. House member who was supporting Hubert Humphrey.

A key issue for Texas delegates was a proposal to abolish the rule that required a state’s delegation to vote for the candidate backed by the majority of the group.

Some delegates who supported other candidates were in the delegation because leaders believed that all the votes would go to Humphrey.

"It created a tense situation," said the man who later became House speaker. "I talked to them and said, 'Rather than . . . creating a big hullabaloo in Texas, why don’t you keep your word and voluntarily say you had that agreement and are going to stick by it.’ That’s exactly what happened."

Art Brender

Brender went to Chicago to challenge the political system.

A recent 22-year-old graduate from the University of Texas, he hoped to gain a delegate seat supporting McCarthy. As soon as the Dallas man — who later became an attorney and executive director of the Tarrant County Democratic Party — arrived in Chicago, he got to work.

"We were getting handbills out about the unfairness of what was going on with the Texas delegation," Brender said. "We were trying to . . . get [delegates] to include at least a proportionate share of McCarthy delegates."

That vote failed early one morning, after Brender had left for the night. The next day, on his way back to the convention, "it looked like pictures of an occupied war zone," he said. "The National Guard was surrounding the park, and lots of angry people were there."

Dee Kelly Sr.

Kelly was a 38-year-old Fort Worth attorney among those chosen by Texas Gov. John Connally in case there was a chance to offer Connally up as a compromise candidate.

"I was a commie delegate," joked Kelly, who has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since LBJ. "We thought Gov. Connally would be a possible compromise choice for president. He wound up supporting Humphrey, and we all followed his lead."

Instead of witnessing Connally make history, they watched protesters, police and the ensuing violence, much from Kelly’s hotel window.

"At the convention, we began to see the resurgence of Republicans in the country," he said. "I think that was one of the turning points."

James R. Peipert

Peipert, then 25, was an Associated Press reporter assigned to help cover any street disturbances at the convention.

The night before the convention, he was in Lincoln Park when police announced a curfew would be imposed at the park. Some demonstrators were taunting police, and someone flicked a lighted cigarette that hit an officer’s arm.

"He got really ticked off and started whaling into the group," he said. "It unraveled from there."

Peipert became part of the story when an officer began hitting him with his nightstick, an image captured in a photo published in a Chicago newspaper.

"I said, 'Press. Press,’ " said Peipert, who admits his media credentials were in his pocket and not around his neck. "I think that just made him madder."

Peipert retired from the Star-Telegram this year after 22 years.