About this Interview

Thacher Longstreth, a longtime Philadelphia politician, attended Princeton University on scholarship where he played three sports and served as Chairman of the Honor Committee, Chairman of the Undergraduate Council, and President of the Senior Class. After college, Longstreth joined the U.S. Navy, serving in World War II, before going to work for LIFE magazine from 1946 to 1953. Around this time, Longstreth ran for mayor of Philadelphia against Dick Dilworth's campaign and lost. He then went to work for an advertising agency in Philadelphia. He left in 1964 to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, where he stayed until the time of the interview. It was first suggested that Longstreth run for office in 1951, and he ran for Mayor of Philadelphia in 1955 and 1971, losing to Dick Dilworth and Frank Rizzo, respectively. Longstreth goes on at length about issues within the Republican party and discusses several major Pennsylvania political figures before moving on to a discussion of projects and accomplishments completed during his time with the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce. Around 1967 Longreth was elected Councilman-At-Large and served on the Philadelphia City Council for four years. He concludes by describing his involvement with the national Bicentennial in Philadelphia and discusses what still needs to be done in the City of Philadelphia in the coming years.