Larry LaRocco '63
It’s 1982 and Larry LaRocco, class of ‘63, is raising a young family in Idaho, but times are hard. Larry has worked two dozen different jobs just this year and he’s had to downsize his house because of a lack of income. What’s more: he’s on the road, working jobs in 19 different counties from Idaho’s border with Canada all the way south to Nevada. Friends are concerned. And they should be because Larry’s running for Congress.
Inspired by Jimmy Carter’s grassroots campaigning, Larry set about getting to know the people of the 1st congressional district of Idaho where they worked. “I hauled garbage. I picked apples with migrant workers. I worked in a nursing home. I built logging roads, helped survey crews, and worked on farms,” Larry recalls. This kind of campaign would be a viral hit on social media today, if any politician could muster half the energy Larry has. At 79, he is spry and energetic. “I’m training for a half marathon right now,” he says, adding with a wink, “to walk.”
Larry’s aggressive grassroots campaign won support from labor because he “showed up on time, did the work, and began to build relationships.” He wouldn’t win this election (success would come roughly ten years later) but the sacrifices he made to understand his constituents are indicative of who Larry is: hard-working, humble, and eager to build relationships.
Asked to distill his resume of achievements and accolades into a pithy piece of advice for today’s students at Riordan, Larry said, “Find your passion and show up!”
Memories at Riordan
When Larry first showed up at Riordan, he was just 13 years old and quickly in awe. The games at Kezar, plays in the auditorium, socials with the local all-girls schools. There was a lot to do. His academic interests would develop later. “I tested into the honors classes and worked my way down from there,” Larry jokes. “Ed Fennelly would call me ‘no show LaRocco.” The nickname didn’t stick, but the feedback did even some 60 years later as Larry retells this story. Ed and the brothers had high expectations and wanted to keep Larry, a self-described social animal, engaged and out of trouble. Larry remembers some trips to the dean’s office, but more than anything, Riordan gave him “the chance to mature and the opportunity to try a number of different things.”
Of the numerous activities Larry participated in, he fondly remembers the stage plays, the golf team, cross country and cheerleading, where he got an early taste of public speaking. “I was running for head cheerleader,” Larry recalls, “and I had to stand in front of the student body and ask for their vote. I remember it vividly to this day. I didn’t get nervous. In fact, I liked it.” That speech was a real growth experience for Larry, and cheerleading, a chance to build confidence at rallying others around a common cause.
Transformed Abroad
After graduating, Larry would earn degrees at University of Portland and Boston University, with stops at Stanford and Johns Hopkins. “That might have surprised a lot of my teachers,” Larry quips. A newly formed study abroad program in his undergraduate years, however, would be the most memorable and transformative experience. Larry spent a year abroad in Salzburg as a sophomore at UP. The unfamiliar setting and the chance to travel opened his eyes and ignited an interest to “discover the world.” He also met his wife, Chris Bideganeta, in the program. They would eventually marry and settle in Idaho.
In 1968, as was the case for many young men of his generation, Larry would be called upon to serve his country. The army offered him a direct commission into military intelligence. Initially his orders were for Vietnam, but his fluency with German, which he learned while studying abroad, would send him to West Germany instead. He would be honorably discharged in 1972 having reached the rank of captain.
He would continue a life dedicated to serving others back in Idaho, this time as a field representative for U.S. Senator Frank Church. Larry worked with constituents, helping connect them to federal agencies that could support them with what they needed. “It was like being a social worker on steroids,” Larry remembers, “It was so gratifying.”
In time, he would be a congressional representative himself, serving two terms from 1991-1995. That distinction, to serve as one of only 12,500 elected members of Congress in this country’s 250 year history, was one Larry didn’t take lightly. From Riordan’s charism to the senator’s office and beyond, there was a throughline: treat people with dignity, have a moral and ethical approach to public policy.
“Do right, risk consequences.” This was the advice Larry just gave to current members of Congress as he accepted an award from the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress on December 15th.
Today, he still works in a bipartisan group of former congressional officials to further American foreign policy objectives. When he’s not traveling, he lives in Boise with his wife, Chris. They have two children and three grandchildren.
Full of enthusiasm and joy, Larry says, “I’m very blessed and grateful for my life.” In that spirit of gratitude, Larry spearheaded fundraising for new scholarships at Riordan, endowed by his class of 1963. Larry and his classmates--his buddies as he endearingly calls them--have assured the next generation of Riordan students will have the chance to show up and see where the opportunity takes them.
