State Police Invite the Media to Celebrate 50 Years of "The Runaway"

In April of 1958, 29-year-old Massachusetts State Trooper Richard "Dick" Clemens and 8-year-old Ed Locke posed for famed illustrator Norman Rockwell at the Howard Johnson's Restaurant on Pittsfield-Lennox Road in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. When completed, the illustration "The Runaway" was published on the cover of the September 20, 1958 edition of The Saturday Evening Post, instantly becoming an icon that continues to be one of the most positive images of a police officer ever captured.

Norman Rockwell's "The Runaway," an illustration of a Massachusetts State Trooper counseling a young runaway in a rural diner while a counterman looks on, hangs in virtually every police officer's home in the United States. However, few of the thousands of people who display "The Runaway" in their homes and offices realize that the Trooper and the runaway are real people, both former residents of Stockbridge, who were hand selected by Norman Rockwell to pose for this famed illustration.

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of "The Runaway's" debut on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, the Massachusetts State Police is hosting a brief ceremony honoring Trooper Clemens and Ed Locke at State Police General Headquarters in Framingham on Friday, September 19, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. Representatives from the Massachusetts State Police, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, State Legislature, State Police Association of Massachusetts, State Police Commissioned Officer's Association, and Former Massachusetts State Trooper's Association will speak at the event to celebrate "The Runaway" and express appreciation for what Trooper Clemens and Ed Locke have done for the Massachusetts State Police and law enforcement in general. Members of the media are cordially invited to attend and will be afforded an opportunity to briefly interview Trooper Clemens and Ed Locke immediately following the ceremony. For scheduling purposes, members of the media interested in attending are asked to notify the State Police Office of Media Relations at (508)-820-2623.

Retired Trooper Richard "Dick" Clemens Signing a Copy of "The Runaway"

Ed Locke Signing a Copy of "The Runaway"