28 Mar Did you ever meet PUG? A friend and inspiration to many

When home from the holidays in 1973, as a graduate student at Boston University, John Trask, Jr. asked me to go with him to Charleston to meet his friend Charlie Ravenel.  I went, met his friend also known as Pug and was very impressed with his vision about a proposed campaign for Governor of South Carolina.  Pug was a fresh face, had new ideas and would be a very attractive alternative to the Democratic Party establishment.  The reality is Pug was a refreshingly out of the box thinker who spoke common sense and might have fit within either party.

Because I could not walk away from graduate school in mid semester, I declined the opportunity to work in a senior capacity in the Ravenel for Governor campaign though I followed it closely and helped the best I could from afar.

1974 was an exciting year. Unfortunately, the campaign did not turn out as we would have liked when Pug was disqualified though the experience left an indelible mark on the many he touched along with the many who were for the first time inspired to become engaged in government.

Over the weekend, we lost Pug Ravenel. Whether you knew him or not you might find Andy Brack’s piece for the State House Report of interest.

BRACK: Remembering Pug Ravenel