AGB History final highres - March/April 2021 - ABG25

naturally difficult at the outset, and they
were soon out of date. Yet it was possible
to develop some profiles and distribution
patterns, and some perception of the rate
of trustee turnover (about 15 percent
annually).
Other projects were undertaken from
time to time but in the absence of a firm
base of finance and staff, the hoped-for
researches remained as hopes and ideas
for a long time.
The time for a change in leadership
was at hand. Critical to this change was
the development of a long-range plan
for the organization, one that was serious, searching, thorough, and publicly
announced.
Such an exercise required funds and a
director-analyst-author who clearly was
disengaged and objective. A planning committee was formed under the chairmanship
of Edwin Hewitt, a trustee of Grinnell
College, with members of the board of
directors and certain persons from the
membership.
Once more, the Carnegie Corporation
of New York took an interest. After careful
scrutiny of the current status of the organization and its long-term potential, the
Carnegie Corporation underwrote a preliminary effort to develop a detailed plan
of review and projection that could then
be considered as a basis for financing the
larger analysis.
Central to the plan was the question of
whether the analysis would focus on AGB
as the vehicle for enlarged service to trustees, or whether the emphasis should rest
on the issue of lay trusteeship was fading
away, the future of AGB itself was dubious
at best. On the other hand, if lay trusteeship
were thought to have a future as well as a
past, the question still remained whether
AGB was the appropriate agency; and if
so, whether substantial changes in the program should be defined and projected.

AGB.ORG

the ballroom of the St. Francis in San
Francisco was filled.
Meanwhile, the structure of the organization had been changed for the better.
In place of the former executive committee of the association was a board of
directors. The chief administrator bore
the title of president rather than executive vice-president. Membership reaching
toward 500, a goal which once seemed
more of a fantasy than a possibility. More
substantial grants were coming through,
and corporate support was growing. But
the president was already beyond normal retirement age. It was time for new
leadership.
Tom Ingram

Find the Right Person
The Future of Trusteeship and
AGB
As might be supposed, there was no lack of
opinion among the members of the committee. One dilemma lay in the question
whether AGB should be an organization
of trustees (if so, for what purpose?) or an
organization for trustees.
The committee procured the services of
John W. Nason, distinguished former president of Swarthmore College, later president
of Carleton College, a Rhodes Scholar and
an acknowledged leader of higher education. His report, The Future of Trusteeship,
was enthusiastically received, and served as
both stimulus and guide for the immediate
future of AGB.
The work of the Commission on the
Future documented and publicized the
development of the Association as a
maturing organization, no longer on probation in educational circles. Financing
was more secure. Even though the annual
budget was small, reserve funds were
adequate for stable planning, rather than
having to leap for one ice floe to the next.
Attendance at AGB conferences had
grown until at last (surprise and delight)

A search committee was appointed. But
what sort of person should be sought? A
college administrator? A foundation executive? Someone with experience in other
association work? It was a crucial matter
since AGB was different from most other
education organizations in mission and
program. The person selected proved to be
just right. Robert L. Gale was experienced,
but not too old, and with abundant energy,
a former vice-president of Carleton College
in Minnesota, a former Peace Corps official, and most recently, head of a consulting
firm in college and university development.
Just at the point of changeover, it
became known that the Lilly Endowment
was prepared to consider a significant
financial commitment to the field of trusteeship. Nothing could have been more
opportune. The new president was brought
immediately into consultation and was able
to convince the Endowment that AGB was
indeed prepared to spread sail and take to
the open seas. By equal good-fortune, Richard T. Ingram, the present executive vice
president, was persuaded to continue in
his staff position, providing important and
valuable continuity.

March 2021 | AGB: A CENTENNIAL HISTORY 25
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AGB History final highres - March/April 2021

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