The Iowa Caucuses got underway Thursday with presidential hopefuls looking for a bid to become the nations next leader. But before looking forward, one local resident is looking back at his time in school with one of the candidates.

Clark Weichman thumbed through his high school yearbook Thursday. It's been 43 years since he graduated from Main South High School in Park Ridge near Chicago. But what better time than now to reflect on his friendship with a high-profile classmate; a young woman he knew as Hillary Rodham, before she added the Clinton.

"She was very intelligent," said Weichman, "and her most prominent trait was that she was very, very nice. She was a wonderful, wonderful person."

Clinton even signed Weichman's yearbook saying he's the only rational person she could ever talk politics with. Her interest in government has carried on through the years, but her political affiliation has changed.

"She was a republican then," said Weichman. "It was a republican town...we were both fans of Senator Charles Percy. We noticed we were wearing the same buttons. In those days students were activists even before we could vote."

Political interests shook their town and the nation in 1963 when the shocking news of President John F. Kennedy's assassination reached their school.

"She was in my history class when it was announced...then we went to an all school assembly...the girls were in tears and the guys were in shock...me too," Weichman added.

They've come a long way since then. Today, Weichman keeps a watchful eye on the presidential race and Clinton's campaign. The question is whether his high school friendship will influence his vote.

"No, it will not," he said. "It's way too early in the race to see who's going to do what."

Regardless, Weichman holds on to his little piece of political history, as his former high school vice-president hopes to make history as the country's first female president.