History

Westminster College's Mock Convention is one of the oldest surviving collegiate conventions in the country. It has been held quadrennially since 1936 with the exception of 1944, a war year. After the convention of 1956, it was decided that all future conventions would be held for the political party out of power in the White House. Prior to this decision all Mock Conventions were held for the Republican Party.

1936 Republican Convention

* Herbert Hoover (Presidential Candidate)
* Alf Landon (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: State Senator George L. Reed

1940 Republican Convention

* Progressive Republican Party was formed at the convention, left the Hall and convened outside Old 77, nominating Arthur Vandeburg for the Presidential candidate and Gerald P. Nye for the Vice-Presidential candidate. This left the convention without a quorom and eliminated any hopes of amending the two-thirds majority vote for the nomination. After 17 ballots, Robert Taft led Thomas Dewey, 168-126
Keynote Speaker: Congressman Robert Corbett (Pennsylvania)

1944 - NO CONVENTION DUE TO WAR EFFORT



1948 Republican Convention

* Harold E. Stassen (Presidential Candidate)
*Earl Warren (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Congressman Leon H. Galvin (Pennsylvania)

1952 Republican Convention

* Dwight Eisenhower (Presidential Candidate)**
* Earl Warren (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynoter: Attorney General Robert Woodside (Pennsylvania)

1956 Republican Convention

* Dwight Eisenhower (Presidential Candidate)**
* Richard Nixon (Vice-Presidential Candidate)**
Keynote Speaker: Senator James A. Duff (Pennsylvania)

1960 Democratic Convention

* Adlai Stevenson (Presidential Candidate)
* Stuart Symington (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Governor David J. Lawrence (Pennsylvania)

1964 Republican Convention

* Henry Cabot Lodge (Presidential Candidate)
* Mark Hatfield (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Congressman James G. Fulton (Pennsylvania)

1968 Republican Convention

* Richard Nixon (Presidential Candidate)**
* Charles Percy (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Harvard Professor George Cabot Lodge

1972 Democratic Convention

* George McGovern (Presidential Candidate)**
* John Lindsay (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Senator Fred Harris (Oklahoma)

1976 Democratic Convention

* Jimmy Carter (Presidential Candidate)**
* Henry Jackson (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Congressman Donald Riegle, Jr. (Michigan)

1980 Republican Convention

* Gerald Ford (Presidential Candidate)
* George Bush (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Senator Mark Hatfield (Oregon)

1984 Democratic Convention

* Gary Hart (Presidential Candidate)
* Jesse Jackson (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Senator Joseph Biden (Delaware)

1988 Democratic Convention

* Michael Dukakis (Presidential Candidate)**
* Albert Gore (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (Maryland)

1992 Democratic Convention

* Paul Tsongas (Presidential Candidate)
* Barbara Roberts (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Michael Dukakis (Massachusetts)

1996 Republican Convention

* Lamar Alexander (Presidential Candidate)
* Colin Powell (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Alan Keyes

2000 Republican Convention

* John McCain (Presidential Candidate)
* Clint Eastwood (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Robert D. Novak

2004 Democratic Convention

* Wesley Clark (Presidential Candidate)
* Dennis Kucinich (Vice-Presidential Candidate)
Keynote Speaker: Paul Begala


** Indicates Candidates nominated at the National Convention that year.