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Jasmitila Duran

Against the Odds

Social constructions dictate our everyday life. These constructions define the way that we

view and act upon certain situations. The story of “Granny D” (Doris Haddock) is truly an

inspirational and motivation story, which could arguably be known as perhaps one of the best

examples of how social constructions cannot be applied to an individual who has drive and

ambition. This paper will provide examples of the many ways in which Granny D surpassed all

kinds of obstacles. Her incredible achievements has even motivated the entire Gender and

Women studies department in Keene State College to honor her the best way we can; by

spreading awareness. I hope to focus on the life of Granny D and go in depth to explore the

influence that Granny D has had on American culture, not only to everyday individual but the

affect she has had on politicians and social activists. This paper will be using personal interviews

with close friends and co-workers in order to highlight Granny D’s legacy and inform the

audience of her strive to fight soft money within the government.

Granny D was born in Laconia, New Hampshire, and attended Emerson College in

Massachusetts. While she attended Emerson College she met her soul mate and future husband

James Haddock. Even as a young adult she was very rebellious to standard rules, when she

married James she was actually expelled from college out of a result of getting married (at that

time it was not allowed for students to be married). Together they had two children, their first

born was named James Jr. James was very supportive and actually attended and helped his

mother as much he could. James also was very highly involved in activism, often over shadowed

by his mother, James was extremely involved and deserves to also be recognized. Granny D’s

second child was named Betty. Betty was the youngest child and was not as involved with

activism as her brother was. The Haddock family had eight grandchildren Heidi, Gillian, David

Bradley, William, Alice, Joseph, Lawrence, and Raphael; and 16 great-grandchildren: Kyle,

David, Jennie, Kendall, Payton, Matthew, Richard, Grace, Justin, William, James, Beatrix,

Tucker, Mathilda, Parker and Clay. Knowing that Granny D was grandmother it’s hard to

imagine how she dealt with being so far away from her family. Her dedication to politics made it

hard for her to handle all aspects, of her life but Granny D made this possible. A true inspiration

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to any woman who feels as if she has to choose between raising a family and accomplishing a

dream, she is an example of how things can be achieved with a strong desire to succeed.

One of Granny D’s first jobs was working for a factory called the “Bee Shoe Factory” she

worked there for 20 years during the great depression (even working through the great

depression and raising two children is an achievement) she retired from this factory after her

husband developed Alzheimer’s disease. Together they were a political team. They embarked in

many different types of activism. For example they helped stop the planned use of hydrogen

bombs in Alaska in 1960, saving an Inuit fishing village at Point Hope. They both retired in

1972, during this time Doris served on the Planning Board of her town and was highly active in

community affairs. When Jim fell ill she nursed Jim through 10 years of Alzheimer’s. After her

husband sadly passed away, and her best friend passing away a few days after, Granny D felt as

if she had to renew her life. Using the motivation that came about after her suffering she became

politically active once again. This time she set her goals higher.

Reflecting on what I thought an activist looked like, and behaved liked I was shocked to

see the many ways in which Granny D broke that stereotype apart. When we tend to think about

activists most people will describe someone in their youth, full of fight, and with nothing to lose.

But Granny D changed that perception. In society you tend to see older citizens, laying back,

relaxing, enjoying their retirement and spending time with their grandchildren. As an elder

citizen Granny D decided to dedicate the rest of her life to activism.

After Senator McCain failed at the first attempt to regulate campaign reform in 1995,

Granny D became highly interested in campaign reform; she was so motivated that she actually

led a petition movement against soft money. She gathered over 100,000 signatures, but the

petition was ignored by her representatives. Given the fact that Doris is a fighter, this did not

stop her. In 1998 she decided to walk across the country, she did this in order to gain attention

for campaign reform and stop the corruption in the electoral system. Before she set out for her

walk she actually trained for a whole year.

 In diary entry’s she stated "If you look at your life, you will see that your life is made in

acts, and this is my last act.  I'd like to make some use of the last of my life."  And so she decided

that she would devote the last of her life to campaign reform.  She decided that to bring attention

to her cause in order to fight against soft money, she decided would walk across the country. 

During her announcement she states "I really have an old body to work with, and I'm pretty

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trussed up like a Christmas turkey but the question was being 89 years old, would I really be

able to do it?  And when I found that I could walk ten miles a day, six days a week, I said why

not? I'm doing this for my grandchildren and all of the children// in this country who might

someday want to run for office. In a radio speech conducted in 08/05/1998 she stated :

She continued to defend and explain her vision claiming :

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Support started pouring in as soon as she started her mission and on January 1, 1999 she

walked 10 miles each for a total of 400 + days carrying a 29 pound sack! She traveled through

the US making speeches along the way, this attracted add media and gained support from the

public. In her diary she wrote about the incredible kindness that she found everywhere she went;

she was always given food and a place to stay, and was always encouraged to take money, but

hardly ever did.

During this time she lived as a pilgrim, she lived as pilgrim in the sense that she walked

until she was given shelter, and did not eat until she was given food. This movement took the

nation by storm. People could not believe that she was actually walking across the US, and most

importantly people were astonished at the fact that she was an elderly woman. People were so

taken back by her drive that strangers met her along the way. People would march with her

carrying signs and showing support for her despite the odds and her physical limitations, age,

arthritis, inflammation and touch of emphysema. All these factors could have stopped a lot of

people but not Granny D in her diary she stated ”You know, as you get older, you hurt here, and

you hurt there, but after a good, hot shower, it's amazing how many aches and pains will go."  

When she finally made it to Washington her vision was fulfilled she had completed the

course at the age of 90. When the class interviewed a panel of Granny D supporters Steve a good

friend of hers spoke about the that moment he stated “Doris had study redbrick her spontaneous

eloquence was amazing but for me the most inspirational moment wasn’t a speech it was when

she was arrived near the end of her walk and she was blocked 100 miles from Washington

because of ice and didn’t know what would happen next, and then realized there was canal to

path where connected her to Washington and she knew how to ski and Jim went home and got

her skis and she skied into Washington that’s an amazing feet but Doris trusted something bigger

than herself that she was on a mission that was in some ways blessed by the universe I don’t

know If she wrote about peace pilgrim, peace pilgrim is the model she adopted, but peace

pilgrim crisscrossed the country trusting the good of people and the good of the universe to help

her achieve her dream. Doris went on her trip on that spirit and there was a faith I don’t know if

she wrote about God but she trusted she knew that what she was doing was lined with a higher

purpose of love and respect and that she will be taken care of and so it’s not what she did but

who she was and that trusting, and then she gets at this apparent block at the end and a way

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opens up kind of like a miracle and to me that was the inspirational moment because to us it says

if we really trust and are really aligned with our future that a way will open up”.

Upon her arrival she was greeted by a crowd of more than 2200 people, including

members of congress who chose to walk the final miles with her to the Capitol on the National

Mall. On April 21, 2000 she was arrested for reading the Declaration of Independence in the

Capitol alongside 31 other supporters, but was later released and sentenced to time served and a

$10 administrative fee at a oppose to a $500 fine. Sadly the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in

Citizens United v Federal Elections Commission (January 21, 2010), reaffirmed the position that

corporations “are persons under the law, and that, as such, corporations are entitled to unlimited

spending in political campaigns”. Although this was a loss her amazing story touched a variety

of different people one of those was Senator John McCain who during an interview stated “My

interest in her was sparked by her walk across America.  I mean, it's one of the more remarkable

feats in American Political History, Doris Haddock represents all that is good in America, and

we thank her for her commitment to open and honest government that the people can be proud

of." Other politicians such as Jimmy Carter stated “Doris Haddock is a true patriot, and our

nation has been blessed by her remarkable life.”, and Molly Ivins who said “The problem with

Granny D…is that she makes the rest of us look like such chumps.”   

   The setback in Washington didn’t last long because in 2003 Doris decided that she was

going to drive around the country on a 22,000 mile voter registration. She aimed at targeting

working women and minorities. This was a great tactic that can be seen in the way that the

Obama Administration was inspired to handle elections. Former friend and activist Steve Chase

(who was a part of our panel) stated : There’s also ways that she was a trendsetter because a lot

of election in the US had sort of the leads of the democratic and republic party they want to

quiver over people that are traditional voters, there’s not a sense of we want to expand I mean

think about 50% of the eligible voters don’t vote, that is untapped potential that could

dramatically change for the better this country but many groups have gotten very sophisticated

about reaching out to people that are not traditional voters and Obama whatever you think about

him as somebody in a government position he was a pretty skilled campaigner and they adopted

many community organizing techniques and reaching out to a significant amount of people that

were not normally been reached out in election so you can access what grand did as far as the

project but I think she was part of a shift that happened that really democratize this country in a

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meaningful way you’re going to have to expand from the usual suspects who vote”. Granny D

helped inspired politicians to reach out to those who are not often politically involved.

However when she heard that a nominee for the US Senate in NH had dropped out of the

race she suddenly changed her mind. This sudden change inspired Granny D to take on another

challenge. This time she decided to run for Senate. At 94 years old she was still looking forward

to continuing her career. Granny D became the eldest person to become a US Senate nominee for

NH in just four months before elections and even managed to capture 34 percent of the vote!

Due to the fact that she was known as “Granny D” on August 19, 2004, Doris’s officially

renamed herself "Granny D" Haddock. This was believed to be a good move because people did

not know her by her real name, by changing her name she was able to be recognized. Although

Granny D’s attempt was incredibly brave and courage’s, she did not win the majority vote and

sadly lost the election (Judd Gregg 66% and Granny D 34%). This can be connected to social

constructions once again because people felt that she was too old to run for office, people feared

that she could potentially pass away while being in office and have to be replaced. During the

debates she was also put in a hard situation having to debate a younger and more aware

individual.

Granny D was someone who was never content with sitting at home; she constantly was

working on making herself better and helping others achieve the same. Although she had not

won the Senate seat Doris was already a winner. Her life touched a whole nation. Maude

Salinger another formal friend stated “I don’t know what her best speech was I haven’t heard a

lot of them but in 2004 the group mothers united did a peace conference right here we marched

up the square Granny D led the march and out walked everybody and then she gave a speech and

it was just so perfect because this was a group of mothers many of whom not been very active

throwing together this peace conference and we were feeling very proud of ourselves we had

speakers, childcare and 24 speakers and a concert that night, we were feeling pretty full of

ourselves and she could sense that and she is doing her speech the subtext message was hey

ladies nice start don’t fall in love with yourself for this there’s people dying out there! Get back

to work it was delivered perfectly with a lot of compassion I marveled at her ability to pick up

what’s going on turn on a dime and figured out how to really make this the message that she was

giving us and I know that’s not what she came in prepared to say because one thing she did very

well was if I was asking her to do a speech at her initiative to make sure she was doing what we

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wanted her to. It was perfect”. Another activist mentioned “For me the most important speech of

Doris is not something I remember for the concept but the affect and to me it was when her book

was first published and I went to the event with my son who is an adult with a mental disability

he does not speak but he can write and he was so fire up by this women that we got home and he

declared he wanted to write to her which he did and she responded in a very gracious way”.

Granny D never stopped helping she dedicated her life to changing this nation for the

better and to me this truly means a lot and having all of Granny D’s record in our Keene State

College library is simply amazing. To be able to look through her personal diary and even

personal emails was really an experience. Reading through her guestbook and seeing the impact

she had on people lives makes me incredibly proud to have these records. I noticed the many

letters that were sent to her, and the way she impacted not only a state but nation. Through

everything she always stayed very humble in her diary you can see all the poetry and songs that

she liked. In particular I really enjoyed reading “Here I am Lord on that Holy mountain” and

Peace, hope and harmony”. It was also inspirational to read about all the contribution that she

provided to different organizations such as CODEPINK. Being able to help preserve her memory

is an honor and a privilege.

Sadly shortly after she celebrated her 100th birthday on January 24, 2010, she died six

weeks later on March 9, 2010 in her son's home in Dublin, New Hampshire, due to a battle with

a respiratory illness. But although Granny D is no longer with us her legacy will last forever.

Granny D is recognized nationwide before her death she was awarded key to the city in: Austin,

Texas Birmingham, Alabama Clarksburg, West Virginia Davenport, Iowa Ferndale, Michigan

Fort Worth, Texas Keene, New Hampshire Las Cruces, New Mexico Lordsburg, New Mexico

Parker, Arizona Parkersburg, West Virginia Tombstone, Arizona and Upland, California. And in

the state of NH there are outgoing effort to have a day to honor Granny D, led by best friend

Ruth Mayer the hope is that NH will recognize her life time dedication to activism. Keene State

College is always working hard on preserving her legacy, the Gender and Women Studies

department is currently working on a website that will be dedicated to informing the public about

the great legacy that she had left behind. Her team is also working on restoring the bus she used

for the voters registration drive and using that to write children stories. Granny D’s outgoing

message and kindness will live on in history. Her ambition and drive to not only change politics

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but change stereotypes by breaking barriers that no one else had done before will leave a legacy

worth honoring.

Work Cited:

Nichols, John. "Granny D Wants to be Senator D."Common Dreams. N.p., 03/28/2004. Web. 24

Mar 2012. <http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0617-10.htm>.

" Visit Website: Granny D Goes to Washington Granny D Goes to Washington." GPB. N.p.,

03/11/2003. Web. 24 Mar 2012. <http://www.gpb.org/granny-d-goes-to-washington

. Granny D had it right about how money would flood politics. N.p., 02/3/2012.. Web. 23 Mar

2012. <http://www.sentinelsource.com/opinion/editorial/granny-d-had-it-right-about-how-money-

would-flood/article_4fce0b8a-69d3-581d-a7c7-3331db3b7160.html>.

Yoon, Robert. "Activist 'Granny D' dead at 100." CNN. N.p., 03/10/2010. Web. 27 Mar 2012. <http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/10/activist-granny-d-dead-at-100/>.

"'Granny D' Dead: Doris Haddock, Campaign Finance Reform Activist, Dies At 100." Huff Post Politics. Huffington Post, 05/25/11. Web. 27 Mar 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/09/granny-d-dead-doris-haddo_n_492699.html>.

. "In Memory of Granny D." Granny D. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar 2012.

<http://www.grannyd.com/>.

Haddock, Doris. Granny D: Walking Across America in My Ninetieth Year . 1. New

York: Villard Books, 2001. 1-285. Print.

Haddock, Doris. Granny D: You're Never Too Old to Raise a Little Hell . 1. New York:

Villard Books, 2003. 1-285. Print.

Mayer, Ruth, Steve Chase, and Maude Salinger. Personal Interview. 03/01/2012.