The VLW Blog

Thomas Mason served in the Navy during World War II with a young Bostonian named John F. Kennedy. In 1962, when he was in the White House and there was opening in the U.S. Attorney’s post in Roanoke, Kennedy named his old friend to the job, where Mason served until 1969. Mason died March 8 at the age of 88. Friends recalled that in addition to his legal work, he was an actor who relished the role of Elwood P. Dowd, the guy who can see “Harvey.” The Roanoke Times has an appreciation.