GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES DEBATED IN CAPE IN 1964

Monday night's gubernatorial debate between Bob Holden and Jim Talent won't be the first gubernatorial debate in Cape Girardeau.

Democrat Warren Hearnes of Charleston and Republican Ethan Shepley, former chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, debated twice in a single day in 1964.

The two gubernatorial candidates debated on Sept. 28 in the afternoon at Houck Stadium before 1,500 Southeast Missouri State University students. At that time, the school was known as State College.

That night, the two men faced off again at a Jaycees meeting at the Holiday Inn.

Hearnes was Missouri's secretary of state when he successfully ran for governor in 1964.

"We had a pretty good debate," said Hearnes. But he said he remembers little of the details of the two debates.

"Even though I am not a great speaker, I think I debated better than I gave a speech," Hearnes said.

Hearnes said the two Cape Girardeau debates followed earlier debates in St. Louis and Kansas.

At one point in the introduction of Shepley at the stadium debate, it was mentioned that he held a Phi Betta Kappa key, a recognition of his scholarly accomplishments.

Hearnes later remarked during the debate that his opponent was a fine educator. "I am not," he told the crowd. "All the Phi Betta Kappas should vote for him. All who are not, vote for me."

His comment was quoted in a lengthy story on the debate that was published on Sept. 29, 1964, in the Southeast Missourian.

Cape Girardeau lawyer A.M. Spradling Jr. attended the debate at the Holiday Inn. "That was one heck of a big crowd. The room was packed," he said.

The candidates spoke and then took questions from the audience.

"The thing I liked about that one was that you could ask them anything," Spradling said. "I thought they came across just about equally. They were both articulate and they both answered the questions well."

On Sept. 30, the Southeast Missourian ran a lengthy editorial on the debates. It praised both candidates.

"Those who heard them here were impressed by the caliber of both men. They were gentlemen at all times, but they did not hesitate the slightest to call a spade a spade," the newspaper said.

Hearnes defeated Shepley in the election but said there was no animosity between them.

Shepley later chaired a campaign to secure passage of a constitutional amendment that allowed Hearnes and future governors to serve two terms. When Shepley died, Hearnes attended his funeral.