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job. Now, I said, “We've got to decide more or less what to put into this volume. I think that we should have...” I mentioned three or four things that I thought belonged in this one-volume selection. To my great pleasure, Hadas agreed with everything that I said. He enthused, “That's excellent, an excellent list that you've got there.” He approved entirely so we shook hands on the deal, walked out together, and rang the bell for the elevator. While Prof. Hadas was waiting for the elevator he said, “By the way, Mr. Cerf, when did you read that piece about Tacitus in the Encyclopedia Britannica?” I said, “Just before you came, Prof. Hadas.” He nodded and said, “I wrote it.” No wonder we agreed on what should go into the volume; It's very funny. As he got into the elevator, he was chuckling to himself; and he told that story up on the campus for a long time. But so did I. We both loved it. I wasn't ashamed. That's what you learned in journalism--where to look for the things when you needed them.

I wondered if maybe you wanted to talk about dictionaries. In October, 1947, the American College Dictionary.... This is something new in a way. Now, the Random House dictionary, which has just come out...I mean, I thought that we might be able to bring it in together.

Well, the whole dictionary thing started in the very carefully thought out way that I do many things in my life.