Dean's Yearbook photos and bio

On Eric Appleman's Democracy in Action website, is this great scan of Dean from his yearbook photo (there's also the traditional headshot). Even better is the short biographical piece accompanying Dean's photo, that he wrote himself :

From the outside looking in, I am: A Prefect making a thousand announcements in assembly, a dorm prefect with a big stick, a big brother talking to Deacon or Benny, a solid conservative defending the powers of the Student Council and lashing out at cynics and opponents, a business manager arguing with his editor, and a frequent occupant of the weight room. I can't see anything in perspective, I only live for the moment. I take each individual thing that comes along as the most important thing that has ever happened: form elections, football games, grades, hell week, everything is crisis. Some people tell me I shouldn't take things so seriously. St. George's has taught me in four years to respect A. Lincoln's saying that "You can't please all of the people all of the time." I tried for three years, and realized in my fourth that he was right (I'm stubborn, that's why it took so long). Forget about the people you can't please, hang around with the ones you like. If you want to find out how everyone else sees me, read the top paragraph again. If you're the curious type who can put up with a temper, join the few who know me as I know me - from the inside looking out.

It's fascinating to see Dean's thougts recorded at such a formative age, and reflect upon how they have influenced him as a candidate today. It's easy to pick out the central axioms by which he runs his campaign and his approach to governance.

(note that Democracy in Action has a page devoted to the 2004 race that has a huge amount of information - including this fascinating comparative timeline of the major candidates' lives and careers).