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Nixon was then President, and he thought that if he recommended me, that that was all that was needed.

I think I made some crack to him at the time that I didn't think he should count on that, because I didn't think Mr. Nixon was that smitten as far as I was concerned. He assured me there would be no problem. Then I went on the board, and a further agreement was that neither he nor I would tell anybody that I was there as an observer, as a possible replacement--until we got near the end of my term as a member of the board, and he asked me to meet with the executive committee, because he had let slip that I was the one he wanted to have appointed.

Obviously, they had some reason to want to meet with me and talk about it. We did, and it was agreed that I would take it, if appointed. I still was at CBS, but I think it was a month-- no, it was in February, and I cut the cord, I think, in April. So it was that close.

About a month later--I remember the day, because it was snowing and it was a miserable day--Harriman called me and he said: “I want to come see you about something.”

We had a pretty good working relationship. I said: “Fine. But gee, Roland, I hate to think of you being out in this kind of weather. Why don't I stop at your house on the way--he lived up on the East Side-- why don't I stop on the way up, and we can talk there.”

“No,” he said. “I've got to see you right away.”

He came in and was very bitter. He said that Nixon wouldn't appoint me, and that he had to