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build separate buildings, so we sort of merged the Library and the Beaumont Theater into one unit, and we had two architects. Skidmore had already had a contract to do the library and Saarinen had already had a contract to do the theater. Then they married, and both of them worked on that joint project.

I saw how that worked, because I was on the committee and sat in on a lot of the discussions about the structure, and I thought: “Gee, that would be a happy way to get the thing going here.”

Paley went along with it and didn't go along with it. Finally, when I talked to Gordon Bunshaft, the designer at Skidmore, Gordon didn't want to do a joint job with Eero. Gordon wanted either to do the building, or hold my hand but not be involved in it. I spent a lot of time trying to sell Gordon on the idea of doing it. It certainly didn't make Eero happy, because Eero had the proper idea--and that was he should design everything, from the tablecloths to the whole building.

What exactly was the division of responsibility?

That I was considering?

Was Saarinen going to do the outside and Skidmore the inside? How was it going to work?

All I wanted Saarinen to do was build a shell and Skidmore would do the interiors. Crazy, perhaps, idea; but as I say, I saw the guys working together. It did work