Last year, I met Theodore “Ted” Sorensen at MIT’s 40th anniversary celebration for the Apollo 13 moon landing. In my eyes, Sorensen was a great behind-the-scenes string puller who’d rubbed elbows with giants like JFK and RFK. Rubbed elbows?? No, Sorensen often read JFK’s mind. He was tight with him.

At the time of Camelot, I was entering my teens and lived in a political enough household to know what was going on. Names like Sorensen, Rusk, Clifford and McNamara were brought up at the dinner table on a regular enough basis for me to remember them today.

And I was smart enough to have my picture taken with Sorensen, who died  yesterday at 82.  He was a kindly gentleman and ohhhh so willing to satisfy a fan as the picture so vibrantly shows. RIP, Mr. Sorensen.

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