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Show TheSalt Lake Tribune UTAH e Continued from previous page Sunday, July 27. 2008 The institute Wilson, Friday leaves, Hrebenar says, rivals those at Harvard, the University Thirty years of politics ©1572 Ted Wilson, 32, works on Wayne Owens first congressional campaign. ascended like they have. We wouldn't see this absolute, Re publican, right-wing Legisiature that we see now.” His daughter, Jenny, was his press secretary for that 1988 race. She remembers being in tears along with other campaign workers on Election Night. The candidate was calm. “In retrospect, I see it as a loss for the state,” she says. “But the personal loss was less important. It was a perfect career movefor him to step into that position at the Hinckley Institute. His life took a different course. And he was happy.” Some who know him insist a day doesn’t go by that Wilson doesn’t think about that race. “That one stung badly — for a year,” he acknowledges. “I thought aboutit every day — for a year.” But he insists he isn’t haunted by the loss anymore. Still, he remembers every little detail of the race the ringing earpiece during a televised debate, the heckling from Provo residents watching the Freedom Festival Parade on July 4, and then-LDS Church President Ezra Taft Benson’s best wishes. But he doesn’t second-guess. “Whatif the South had won the Civil War?” he asks. “Those ‘whatifs’ don’t matter.” Making his mark: Wilson returned to teaching. In 1990, he launched class in practical pol- ities, a course he still teaches with Buhlereach election year. “Tt was icy,” Buhlersays. “That first year was little rough.” Now, with trademark self-deprecating humor, Wilson introduces Buhler as the man who kept him from being governor. Two-time congressional candidate Donald Dunn was oneof Wilson’s students, experiencing everything from Political Science 101 to a weeklong project on the Navajo Reservation with his mentor. “He always had a personal anecdote or story that he could use to help you as a student understand what he was talking about,” Dunn said. “He said we had to go do something with government. He wanted us to have somepractical experience.” In nearly two decades at the Hinckley Institute, Wilson expanded the internship and scholarship programs to include 200 students each year. And he increased the numberof speakers, broadcasting Hinckley debates on television andradio. “He has transformed the Hinckley of ©1973 Owens lures Wilson to Washington, D.C. with a job 2s his admin: ve assistant ‘© 1975; Wilson challenges and beats incumbent Salt Lake City Mayor Conrad Harrison, Akron becoming the city’s youngest mayor. ©1978: The first election to change Salt Lake City’s form of government from a five member compaission to a mayor with a seven-member council - an idea Wilson backed ~ fails. second term as mayor. a transformation to focus on practical and applied politics. By next year, the institute could of fer advanced degrees in campaigning, marketing andpolling. seats. Hatch wins with 58 percent of the vote. © 1983: Running for a third term, Wilson manages springtime floods by sandbagging State Street and diverting the water out of town, He also defeats Sterling Webber with 70 percentof the vote. Meantime,the university will begin to search nationally and ©1985; The three-term mayor leaves office two years early to direct the University of Utah’s Hinckley institute of Politics. internatianallyfor Wilson's permanent replacement. © 1988: His self-imposed breakfrom campaigning ends whenWilson takes on incumbent Gov. Norm Bangerter. Wilson's 40-point lead dwindles and he loses by 2 percent Never say never: Wilson plans to ridehis motorcycle, climb and play with his grandkids. He won't rule out politics — “I'll never say I won't. I'll neversay I © 1997: Wilson applies for an open position on the Salt Lake City Council, Council mem bers choose another applicant. © 1998: He unsuccessfully challenges Paula Julander for the Avenues neighborhood's fomination for a State Senate race. © 2003: Wilson, 64,retires from the Hinckley Institute of Politics. to your job. I don’t have a lot of personal regard for her anymore.” TheSalt Lake Tribwne file photo Bart Barker,political consultant Carter Livingston and others are starting a consulting busi Exoro, a Latin term that A new venture: Another unor thodox relationship will take Wilsoninto retirement. For two years, he has writtena tit-for-tat column for the Deseret Morning News with LaVarr Webb, former policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt. Now, Webb and Wilson — along with Bangerter, former Salt Lake County Commissioner means “prevail through persuasion.” Wilson has notimefor parti: sans onboth sides ofthepolitical aisle whoprotest the collabora tion. On one level the partner- ship is practical he needs a paycheck. On another, Wilson says he has iscended political sniping. iTr’'s Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson gives a thumbs-upin 1983 after detonating dynamite to clear a plugged conduit that was causing water to back up and had to be diverted down State Street. “The party doesn’t own my mind,” he says. “You less need for camps, for partisanship, would think, ‘Quit being such pals with the guy.’ “ as you getolder,” “It's the old schoolofpolitics,” Dunn adds. “It’sa civility we’ve His friends say he always has been that way, an energetic ad: vocate ofliberal values during a political fight, but always a gen- been lacking. This is a pretty visible group. It’s bipartisan. It’s unique for Utah. It’s like we’ve grown up.” tleman. He inspired the same in his opponents. here were times I would have to remind Norm that Ted was the enemy,” Buhler says. “I institute transformation: U. Political Science Department Chairman RonHrebenar will replace Wilsonasinterim director TFTInMNe will. I'm always a liar on those things,” he says. After 30 years in the public eye, he’s ready for relative anonymity. It’s alreadycreeping up on him. has him for DePaulis. “People look at meand they’re not sure where L fit in anymore.” He likes that just fine. “The political career is secondary to my political life,” Wilsonsays. “I would like to be remembered as the teacherthat did.” FOR TOMMY af HILFIGER BACK-TO-SECHOo.t! i Ashley overali in soft denim. Available in sizes XS-XL. 69.00. East Village tee im core navy. Sizes XS-XL. 25.00. College dean, in a university tinct mark on the place, starting a program for students in Kotwara,India, four years ago. Stu- dents spend three weeks in India, studying, meeting with leaders, building a school and, finally, sightseeing. Unable to stay away from politics entirely, Wilson dabbled. In 1997, he applied to replace a resigning city councilman. City Council members chose another. And a year later, he unsuccess- fully challenged state Sen. Paula Julander in the Democratic Party Salt Lake County Convention. At the same time, Wilson became a pundit, the pol journal- ists soughtfor a reasoned analysis of sometimes inexplicable Utah politics. He has advised those who followed him at City Hall from Palmer DePaulis to Rocky Anderson. Some of his political alliances haveraised eyebrows,including friendships with Horiuchi and former Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini. Their scan- dals in office have frustrated Wilson. But while his friendship with Horiuchi continues “He has sold out to developers too much,” Wilson says, “but he's an immense humor, an immense man.| just like him.” his relationship with Corradini is over. Rumor has it she approached President Bernie Machen aboutleading the Hinckley Insti- tute before Wilson had announced his retirement. He says his sense ofbetrayal is older than that. He and former Mayor Jake Garn filmed a commercial for Corradini in 1996 after the Bon- neville Pacific bankruptcy scandal. After reelection, Corradini collected $200,000 from wealthy Utah businessmen to pay off her Bonneville Pacific-related debts. Wilson calls his endorsement “one of my greatest political mistakes,” “I put somebody back intoof- fice. And her ethical standards \ he about chuckholes now mistake newsrelease. And he has put his own dis- were not up to what they should Although changed little over the years except for a new graying beard the Salt Lake City residents who used to complain to him student and public engagement on this campus,” says Steven Ott, have been,” he says. “There's 4 point where personal gain and personalinterest becomeinimical York Hinckley Institute will undergo. © 1980: Salt Lake City residents decide to change the form of government. ©1982: Wilson and Orrin Hatch face each other in a contest for one of Utah’s Senate Social and Behavioral Science U. New very well,” he says. With Wilson’s retirement, the ©1979: Wilson trounces challenger Doug Bowers with 68 percent of the vote to win a Institute of Politics into oneof the liveliest, mostinteresting and active centers of and University. “There's no doubt in my mind that, short of a couple cf D.C. based programs, we have the finest internship program in the country. They do what they do Shop Saturday 10-9 and Sunday 12-6 at all Dillard's locations. tn Sait Lake City at Fashion Place and South Towne Center. in Ogden, at Mall. In Provo,at Provo Towne Centre. in Logan, at Cache Valley Mall We welcome your Dillard's Credit Card, The American Exp Card, Diners Club Intemational, Mastercard? Vi a" and The Discover Card. A |