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blacks wanted to take seriously decentralization of the schools and assume authority, in conflict with the position of [Albert] Shanker and his union. And the Regents were in the midst of that storm. Fortunately, Jim Allen was still Commissioner. I think Couper was still Chancellor. And Max Rubin and Steve Bailey were still members of the Board at that time.

And if I remember correctly, the Board took a rather strong, positive position on the issue and tried to reconcile these different factions. But it was the beginning of political-- I think with even as liberal a Governor as Nelson Rockefeller, and certainly the Legislature, began to have questions about the independence of the Regents, and that was the beginning of the attempt on the part of-- not the attempt, the fact of the Legislature making appointments or elections to the Board in terms of potential Regents being more conservative, more politically sensitive, less independent, and they succeeded in this in-- well, for one thing they would have long interviews of potential Regents, and it was always my impression that they would judge the Regents in terms of the individual's practicality and political awareness and sensitivity. So for a while our Board became more political in its decisions, discussions, and that's when I think I became-- well, for one thing, Steve Bailey left the Board and went down to Washington in an educational organization. Max Rubin retired, because he moved to Connecticut. And I was sort of angry with both of them for abandoning me in a way. They were very, very supportive. I'd felt with their presence things could be more