I remember this frigid day in 1985, when I worked as a corporate public policy lobbyist in Washington, DC. I was awarded a rare seat for the President’s second term inauguration, held indoors in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, due to freezing weather conditions.

It was special, indeed, even for me as a Democrat. I asked if I could have another seat, and the President’s representative looked at me with a smile saying how extraordinary it was to be presented with ONE seat. There were fewer than 1,000 spaces in the Rotunda, including for 535 members of Congress and nine Supreme Court justices. Even spouses and key staff were excluded. I was pleased to present my singular seat to my corporate chairman in London, a man who deeply appreciated the opportunity “to fly across the pond” to witness a truly historic event.

My chairman, a corporate leader in the United Kingdom, was properly referred to as “Chairman” in England. Chairman Sir Patrick Sheehy was a keen student of American politics, understanding American democratic government more than most American officials and lobbyists. He became friendly with President and Nancy Reagan.

President Reagan later came to Chairman’s aid, helping to save his British corporation from one of the two largest hostile takeover attempts in history (at the time)…against “Takeover King” Sir James Goldsmith. It was a battle of a British company trying to take over another British company in a world-wide, year-long struggle. We won, chiefly because of the American response, including from our 100,000 U.S. employees in 42 states. We broke Goldsmith’s hostile takeover attempt; it was costly and it was his last. We won this huge, international battle. Though—as people, as employees—we couldn’t beat the inevitable winds of change. The company, BATUS, was dissolved a few years later.

That was politics then—40 years ago. Where are we now? What does it mean for tomorrow? Even with all of its pomp and circumstance, Inauguration Day, today. makes me wonder if ‘public policy’ is truly “the noblest of all professions,” as Ronald Reagan and others once professed.