Vindicator file photos

Vindicator file photos

FORTY YEARS AGO: The Mahoning Valley got a lot of attention in late October 1968 from national political candidates. Former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, running as an independent for president, spoke from the steps of Stambaugh Auditorium to a crowd estimated at 3,000, hundreds of whom were protesters, not supporters. When a stone bounced of the lectern, Wallace responded, “That’s all right. I can cope with anything those anarchists do.” Meanwhile, Maryland Gov. Spiro Agnew, running for vice president with Richard Nixon, spoke to a more sedate crowd of 1,000 supporters in the Paramount theater. A small band of anti-Nixon pickets marched outside.