When 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Andrew J. Kleinfeld moved to Alaska with his wife in 1969 after graduating from Harvard Law School, the decision was part of his long-term plan to work in politics, ideally as a U.S. senator. In his view, the state -- then only 10 years old -- was a blank slate where he could make an impression.
"In Alaska, the old families did not dominate to the extent there were any old families a... (continued)