AGB History final highres - March/April 2021 - ABG21

and universities for which they carry major
responsibility. He attended the AGB meetings faithfully, reporting regularly. He moved
from position to position, from Washington
to Michigan to Indiana; and from him came
a steady stream of financial data.

Good Old Placid 1951

have asked Mr. Springer to list on our
printed program several subjects suggested by those in attendance at our
1938 meeting. I hope that you will be
giving them some advance thought and,
as we find time during the next two days
for informal discussion of such subjects
of general interest, that you will be
prompt with any remarks you may wish
to make. As I have already pointed out,
in my judgment we derive the greatest
benefits from our Association membership by attendance at these annual meetings in the free exchange of ideas and
experience.

In 1941, less than two months before
Pearl Harbor: at the University of Wyoming, 32 member boards are represented.
During the ensuing decade it is a small
wonder that the Association survived.
Those who can recall the turbulence of
those times, the all but complete overturning of every enterprise, can but think the
fate of AGB was of little concern to anyone. Yet the meetings were held, and the
discussions continued. During this period
the name of Dr. M. M. Chambers emerges.
This worthy gentleman began then and
continues to this day to provide statistics
showing how the states finance the colleges

AGB.ORG

Taking 1951 as the next marker, 30 years
after the committee meeting of 1921, one
finds on the program of that Annual Meeting an address by the acting president of
Columbia University, Grayson Kirk. Topic?
" Education for Citizenship. " Hardly more
than another decade to go before the great
eruptions.
The size of the published Proceedings
increased from year to year, as in fact did
the substance of the programs. In 1952,
Arthur H. Adams, president of the American Council on Education, addressed the
group on " Proper Relationship Between
Governing Boards and Administrative
Officers of Colleges and Universities. " This
gentleman maintained a serious concern for
AGB through the years, and upon retirement from ACE became a consultant to the
Executive Committee of AGB, in which role
he helped bring about a major step forward,
the establishment of the AGB national office
in Washington 12 years after his appearance
on the 1952 program.
Another topic of 1952 has a familiar
ring: " Academic Tenure, " discussion of
which was led by the long-time president
of AAUP, Dr. Ralph Himstead. Another
and novel topic that year was " Educational
Television. "

Making the New York Scene
The 1954 conference was held in New
York City, the State University of New York
as host. The lead-off topic: " Government
Control of State Supported Institutions. "
Appearing on the program were a number
of familiar figures: Henry Heald, then presi-

dent of New York University, Fred Hechinger
of the New York Times, President Lloyd
Morey, of the University of Illinois, many
others.
Membership still languished, and the
budget amounted to only $4,000, half of
which was absorbed by the annual meeting. But the Association persisted, and
new efforts were made to attract members.
Various national figures in higher education appeared on programs of the Annual
Meetings as they moved from campus to
campus. Attendance at meetings was mainly
regional, though certain members from a
distance made it a point to attend.
It was during this period that Richard
Plock became secretary-treasurer, and in effect
directed AGB affairs for a small stipend while
continuing the practice of law in Burlington,
Iowa, and serving on the Iowa State Board of
Regents.
During this period, a Board of Honorary
Advisors was established, consisting of past
presidents and other appropriate persons.
Another group came into being, called
Regional Directors. By 1958 there were 21
on the roll, each responsible informally for
stimulating interest in AGB among other
institutions in their assigned territories.

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