News-Record.com

GREENSBORO — When UNCG professor Paul Muchinsky met former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, he did what anyone in his position would do. He pulled her onto the dance floor and boogied with her.

The two were at Gettysburg College last month where they were to receive honorary degrees. O'Connor was the school's commencement speaker and Muchinsky is one of its most successful graduates — later becoming an honored professor in UNCG's Bryan School of Business.

He and O'Connor went to a senior dance to make an appearance after a dinner party at the college president's house.

Despite bad knees — Muchinsky was stricken with polio as a child — he couldn't resist the opportunity to cut a rug with the former justice.

"I figured, 'What the hell. We all gotta die sometime. I might as well take a bullet in the head from the Secret Service for trying to dance with a Supreme Court justice," he said.

Muchinsky got lucky. The security detail with O'Connor didn't shoot him, rough him up or even quickly escort him away. In fact, Muchinsky said, O'Connor seemed to be having a grand time.

His daughter's boyfriend took pictures of the two doing what Muchinsky described as the "geriatric boogie" to Kool and the Gang's "Celebration."

After the dance, the crowd burst into applause and O'Connor took a bow and left.

Fearing he had upset her, Muchinsky apologized the next morning as the two were fitted with their robes. Muchinsky said O'Connor dismissed the apology, saying, "Oh Paul, don't be silly. It was a blast."

Muchinsky recalls it as one of the greatest moments of his life. He sent a framed photograph of the dance to O'Connor along with a copy of the textbook he wrote.

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com