George McGovern, subject of a really, really, really great Washington Post profile today.

McGovern, who has been helping university officials with the fundraising for a library to be built in his and Eleanor’s names on the Wesleyan grounds, wants to establish a speech and debate program here. He called the university president just 30 minutes ago, and now he’s headed over to discuss that and the latest news about the library, which is $700,000 shy of the $8.5 million officials say is needed to begin construction.

It’s a lovely portrait of a man who, even in the throes of crushing loss, hasn’t stopped thinking of ways to improve his country. Go. Read. Learn things.

A.