The Harvard Crimson (they publish in summer?) has a nice story on Edmond Joseph Gong who flunked out of Harvard Law after his first year — they said he would “never become a lawyer” — but after a stint as a reporter found a second chance in his home town, at the University of Miami School of Law from which he graduated in 1960.
Mr. Gong went on to become an Assistant US Attorney, then got elected to the Florida House, then the Florida Senate in 1966, making him the only nonwhite state Senator at that time.
It seems the letter telling him not to come back to Harvard Law served as a powerful inspiration…
What an excellent piece. Thanks for the link.
Looks like he’s up to this these days.
whoops, looks like a link was omitted from there: http://wwwdotevclaydotcom/edmond.html
[Moderator’s edit: Here’s a live link to Mr. Gong’s page.]
Sometimes all we need and get is a second chance. Great little story of perseverance!