Session: 1234567891011121314         Page 568569570571572573574575576577578579580581582583584585586587588589590591592593594595596597598599600601602603604605606607608609610611612613614615616617618619620621622623624625626627628629630631632633634635636637638639 of 763

And most people think of the Regents almost wholly in terms of Regents' examinations in high schools, but they give examinations in other areas too.

When I finally realized what the responsibilities were, they seemed to be both awesome and impossible. And it takes you quite a bit of-- well, it took me a bit of time to become adapted to this role. I spent a lot of time observing, observing the way in which the Regents functioned. At that time we did not have an open log, so most of the activities of the Regents were conducted in private sessions, most of the discussions.

After a year or so I became adjusted. The Commissioner of Education at the time when I became a Regent was a man by the name of James Allen, whom I deeply respected. In fact, he had appointed me on a commission to advise him on race-related matters in schools. Kahn-- Rabbi [ ] Kahn- -- it was a three-person commission-- John Fischer, who was at that time president of Teachers College of Columbia University, and myself. So I'd gotten to know James Allen very much and had a great deal of respect for him.

And the Chancellor of the Board of Regents at that time was a gentleman-- a very gracious gentleman, whom I respected. I saw him when I was up at Binghamton last weekend at the State University. Chancellor Edgar Couper. Allen and Couper, together with Max Rubin, were the individuals who helped me to develop a sense of the positive possibilities and potentialities of the Regents.

I'm trying to think of the word that describes these men, and