Carolyn Dimmick Final PDF.indd - Washington Secretary of State

Hughes: Sure. Your responsibility as a woman, after all the progress women had made in
the legal profession during your career. But, also, the woman you wanted to see succeed
you was someone who both philosophically and –
Dimmick: Had great experience. I mean she was a Stanford graduate; she was on the
Court of Appeals; she had been a Superior Court judge. She had every experience. She’d
be the perfect choice.
Hughes: And you two were really dear friends.
Dimmick: Yes. But I didn’t want her appointed as friendship. I wanted somebody up there
who was going to do a heck of a good job, and would be smart and uphold the office.
Hughes: Sure, if you’re the first – a trailblazer – you don’t want to be succeeded by some
weak sister.
Dimmick: I didn’t. So those were the machinations that went on.
Hughes: Speaking of machinations, what’s it like to get confirmed to the U.S. District
Court?
Dimmick: Well, first you have to go back in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Hughes: And who was presiding?
Dimmick: Strom Thurmond. I couldn’t understand him (through his Southern drawl). He
was mush-mouth. I was like, “Excuse me?” … It was terrible.
Hughes: So was that otherwise pretty straightforward and gentlemanly?
Dimmick: It was.
Hughes: Did you get to meet with President Reagan?
Dimmick: No, just his adviser.
Hughes: Who was that?
Dimmick: I don’t know.
Hughes: So the president did call you?
Dimmick: Oh, he called me later (after the Senate hearing).
Hughes: What did he say?
Dimmick: “Hi.” I’ll tell you about that later.
Hughes: OK.
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