35 Years Ago: President Ronald Reagan Visits Endicott

It's been three-and-a-half decades since tens of thousands of people gathered to hear President Ronald Reagan speak at Union-Endicott High School.

Reagan appeared at a campaign rally at Ty Cobb Stadium on September 12, 1984. The president was touring upstate New York as he sought a second term.

Reagan toured the IBM Endicott North Street manufacturing complex before delivering a 22-minute talk at the school on East Main Street.

In the presidential diary from that day, Reagan wrote: "There were a few dissidents but they were almost invisible in that crowd."

Vincent Carlini was a supervisor at IBM at the time of Reagan's visit. On the 35th anniversary of the event, Carlini recalled: "We were all very excited."

Carlini on Thursday recalled that IBM employees were advised to be "polite" and "courteous" while Reagan was at the plant. Carlini now works as a custodial supervisor at the high school.

Clint Densmore, another current high school employee, said he was in 10th grade when Reagan visited. He said he decided to go for a plane ride out of Tri-Cities Airport instead of attending the presidential campaign event.

Looking back, Densmore expressed some regret that he didn't show up for Reagan's visit to his school. He said: "I should have been here."

While the stadium was filled to capacity on that late summer day in 1984, the place was quiet and deserted when a reporter visited 35 years later.

WATCH President Reagan's 1984 appearance at Union-Endicott High School.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

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