Edmund S. Muskie Oral History Collection
Document Type
Oral History
Publication Date
8-26-2000
Interview Number
MOH 217
Abstract
George Arnold Roach was born July 28, 1929 in Rockland, Maine. He grew up in Houlton and summered in Rockland. His father, Herbert Roach, was a potato farmer, buyer, and machinery dealer. He attended the University of Maine and later joined the military, where he spent 30 years. He became interested in politics, particularly the Democratic Party in Maine. He worked on several of Muskie’s campaigns and stayed involved, both distantly and actively throughout his career. At the time of this interview, he worked for the State of Maine Department of Agriculture as a political appointee.
Use Restrictions
Copyright Bates College. This transcript is provided for individual Research Purposes Only; for all other uses, including publication, reproduction and quotation beyond fair use, permission must be obtained in writing from: The Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College, 70 Campus Avenue, Lewiston, Maine 04240-6018.
Recommended Citation
L'Hommedieu, Andrea, "Roach, Arnold oral history interview" (2000). Edmund S. Muskie Oral History Collection. 342.
https://scarab.bates.edu/muskie_oh/342
Scope and Content Note
Interview includes discussions of: family background; Franklin D. Roosevelt; Roach’s military service; Maine and racism; Roach meeting Franklin D. Roosevelt as a little boy; Muskie’s 1954 campaign; politics in Maine from the 1930s on; Roach’s work with Muskie in the 1980s; Muskie as Secretary of State; Jane Muskie; Glenn Manuel; Joe Brennan; Bob Rush; Joyce Roach; Jim Pierce; Maine’s potato industry; Maine Department of Agriculture; Freddy Vahlsing and the sugar beet industry in Maine; farming in Maine and the United States; McGillicuddy family; regional political divides in Maine; George Mitchell; Ed Muskie; and the “inner sanctum” of the U.S. Senate.