Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

On the lower right front of the current Maine Sunday Telegram, you'll find my profile of Sen. Susan Collins' mentor and fiance, Thomas Daffron, who was longtime chief of staff to Bill Cohen when he represented Maine on the Capitol Hill.

At one point, the piece describes Mr. Daffron finding a pile of forgotten internship applications in a desk drawer in the first days of 1974. Among them he found that of a certain college student from Caribou, perhaps changing the course of senatorial history. He offered Ms. Collins, 21, a summer internship, and later a junior staff job, starting her on her way to greater things.

Another Cohen staffer, Bob Tyrer, read my piece and was inspired to check the the archives (he still works with Cohen, now at The Cohen Group.) There he found and forwarded Collins' original letter, dated May 19, 1973, seeking an internship "since I hope to have a goverment career after college."

Click to enlarge

Good stuff, the historian in me says, and a reminder of the value of internships.

About the Author

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Open Season targets all of Maine's political wildlife, from Portland city government to the donkeys, elephants and independents stalking the Statehouse and U.S. Capitol.

John Richardson joined the Press Herald in 1990 after working as a reporter in New Jersey. He has covered a variety of beats, including marine issues, the environment and health care. He is now covering politics and focusing on Maine's U.S. Senate race.
John can be reached at 791-6324 or jrichardson@pressherald.com
On Twitter: @jrichmaine

Colin Woodard has covered politics and elections for more than two decades, from Bosnia and Bucharest to Washington, D.C., Augusta, and Portland City Hall. He has written for a wide range of national and international publications and is the author of four books, including "American Nations," a history of North America's regional cultures. He joined the Portland Press Herald at the end of April and covers political finance and lobbying, among other things.
Colin can be reached at 791-6317 or cwoodard@pressherald.com

Susan Cover has covered Maine politics for 10 years and worked in Kansas, Ohio and Rhode Island as a reporter. This year, she is focusing on covering the same-sex marriage debate for MaineToday Media.
Susan can be reached at 621-5643 or scover@mainetoday.com

Michael Shepherd joined MaineToday Media in May 2012 after graduating from the University of Maine in Orono, where he edited The Maine Campus, the student newspaper there. Until November he'll be writing the Truth Test, a recurring feature analyzing political statements and advertising.
Michael can be reached at 621-5632 or mshepherd@mainetoday.com

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