"On any issue, he'd bring down a satel-
Final Thoughts
lite, get feedback, adjust the credibility scale Final funeral arrangements were being made
then throw him back up," Phillip said.
as this interview took place, and the phone
"Those that had no credibility
at the Sherman household in
were just floating around."
Franklin was ringing every few
And he was very vocal about
minutes, a tribute to their father
who had no credibility, Jane
and maybe a lesson of what's to
added.
come for his children.
"There were certain people in
Jane's relationship with her
government that he had conver-
father changed over the years.
sations with all the time," said
The most vocal and the most
Larry. Those included former
open of his children, Jane said, "I
secretaries of state Henry
was the only one who argued
Kissinger and George Schultz.
with him. By the time I was 3
Jane She rman
Their father's diplomatic
years old, he called me belliger-
skills were noticed at the
ent.
highest levels of government, but he never
Larry said Jane became her father's con-
accepted a position when offered, Jane
fidante.
said. "He said, 'I would never take a job. I
"She would go to meetings that he want-
want to pick up that phone and call the
ed to be involved with but couldn't," he
White House and say I can get in whether it said.
was President Nixon or President Ford or
Said Jane, "The last week in the hospital
whoever. -
when I went to Israel, he called every day to
Phillip said his father had a mind like a
see what was going on."
steel trap. He knew balance sheets, finan-
Jane called her father honest "to a fault"
cial statements, kept mortgage numbers in
and loyal.
his head, and could read four newspapers
Phillip called his father an inspiration.
in an hour.
"His values as a human were so incredi-
"He was the sharpest man I ever knew in
bly good; you can't help but pick up some
my life, and he could smell b.s. a mile
of those qualities," Phillip said. "We were
away," he said. "If you went to him, and you the luckiest people in the world. We were
were trying to shade something, he called
blessed. And now we feel like we have a
you right on the carpet, and your credibility
role to play in continuing what he
scale would go straight down."
started."IVF

Julie and Peter
Cummings

His values as a human were so
incredibly good.

— Phillip Fisher

none Fisher and her father

v

,
it A,:

3/10

2005

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