Last Updated: May 20, 1999
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ASNE portrait
What’s it like, I was asked, to be married to the First Amendment.
Well, I guess the answer to that is: It’s better than being married
to the Fifth.
I should have known better than to pick an impoverished law student
to wed. I was related to too many lawyers as it was — my grandfather, father
and three brothers. I knew lawyers were nitpickers and should have known
I’d spend the rest of my life on the witness stand or being corrected for
inaccurate observations.
But, my law student turned out to be a pretty good guy and life with
Richard Schmidt has been an adventure, give or take the First Amendment.
He’s got an infinite capacity for indignation, and fortunately we generally
agree on what to be indignant about. He’s a raconteur without peer, though
to his most constant audience, me, some of the stories pale after the 55th
hearing. He’s been a good parent, and he is an absolutely dolly grandfather.
A most gregarious fellow, he, like a puppy dog, attracts friends. He
has a legendary memory for names and trivia and usually tells you more
than you want to know about any given subject. He can be maddening on occasion
— especially when I’m the driver. Coping with someone who may not always
be right, but who claims never to be wrong has been a challenge. Fortunately,
I’m good natured.
That his law practice brought his favorite client, ASNE, into my life
as well was an unexpected bonus I never could have anticipated. What a
joy his association with that singular group of crusty editors has been
for me and what good friends I have made, too.
It’s very obvious I was really lucky when I was so young and dumb to
have snatched him up. The 50 years I’ve been married to Dick Schmidt seem
more like five.
He may be infuriating, but he’s never been boring. Who could ask for
anything more?
