The Salesmanship Club of Dallas
Welcome to "Kent Hance, the Best Storyteller in Texas" podcast. In this episode, you'll hear Kent's keynote address delivered to the Salesmanship Club of Dallas. The Salesmanship Club of Dallas is a nonprofit service organization dedicated to fostering fellowship, philanthropy, and the welfare of the Dallas community. For over a century, they have been committed to spearheading innovation and impacting the well-being of children. Through events like the CJ Cup, Byron Nelson, they have raised over $185,000,000 for the Momentous Institute. Now, here is Chancellor Kent Hance's keynote address to the Salesmanship Club of Dallas.
One reason I came back is to tell a Buick McKesson story. I knew him in high school. His mother used to put him out in a backyard sandpile, and she had to stop because the cats kept covering him up. I need to mention Butch and JD at the BNB Recreation club in Hereford. I lived in Dimmit and would go there to shoot pool. In 1958, they bet me $5 that a guy could hold a collared dog, shoot one-handed, and beat me. I lost $5 and I'm still bitter about it.
I had former students like Michael Lewis, chairman of the board at Texas Tech, who did a great job. Matt Malouf, another student, had a granddad with a dry goods store in Post. If someone shoplifted, there would be blood on the sidewalk. His granddad used a cane to whip shoplifters. My son-in-law, Phil Soils, as district attorney in Tarrant County, announced he's prosecuting every shoplifting case.
I've had friends in high school in West Texas who gave me material for my podcast. You can scan the QR code to access it. We had 39,000 listeners in one month. Once, we even had nine listeners from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
My friend Snake Adams in high school had a brother named Bullock. Once at a dance in Nazareth, Snake was confronted about something he supposedly said. He cleverly deflected the accusation. Snake was also known for his antics, like at a VFW meeting during the moon landing, where he claimed it wasn't the moon but a location between Gallup and Farmington.
I served with colorful people like Ralph Hall in Congress. We disagreed but got along. In politics today, there's too much hostility. I told Kevin McCarthy not to allow one person to bring up a vote to remove you. Disagreements shouldn't lead to hate.
I recall Schwartz, an assistant district attorney in Galveston, who got a threatening letter. The sheriff advised him to get a gun but file off the gun sight so it wouldn't hurt as much if taken away. I also shared stories about Ralph Hall, including one where he quickly recovered from a faux pas involving a divorced man.
When I was a state senator, we were deciding where the University of Texas of the Permian Basin would be. There was a fight between Odessa and Midland. Warren Burnett, a trial lawyer with a gravely voice, testified for Odessa. Despite his controversial statement, he believed his testimony was pivotal for Odessa getting the school.
Recently, I observed presidential elections in Argentina. They have a unique voting system with perforated ballots and pictures of candidates. Argentina is cash-rich and tried socialism, but the new president, endorsed by Trump, won. He was quite a showman, campaigning with pit bulls and a chainsaw.
I spoke here in '91 about entitlements being a big problem. It's tough to make adjustments to Social Security without causing fear. In politics, you face challenges like border control and bipartisan difficulties. I served with people like Phil Graham, who wrote a book debunking myths about wealth distribution.
In campaigning, I've had unique experiences, like being mistaken for supporting a different Tokyo Joe in Odessa or running a marathon against President Bush in '78. In Denver City, Texas, I was the parade marshal but drove my own car in the parade.
I'll take a couple of questions now. By the way, check out the podcast. I've had guests like Ben Carson and Ed Whitaker, who discussed cutting a deal with Steve Jobs. It's not just entertaining but also informative. Thank you very much.
