Oral history transcript, William S. Livingston, interview 2 (II), 7/19/1971, by David G. McComb

Title:

Oral history transcript, William S. Livingston, interview 2 (II), 7/19/1971, by David G. McComb

Number of Pages:

104

Description:

The creation of a new committee related to the LBJ School of Public Affairs; how the committee members were appointed; the committee duties of administration, budgeting, architectural planning and searching for a dean; Norman Hackerman; considering Emmette Redford as an interim dean; why Livingston didn’t become dean; the importance of finding a dean who was not already closely tied to LBJ; LBJ’s involvement with the committee; the first names submitted for consideration as dean: Lincoln Gordon, Ralph Huitt, Charles Schultze, Bob Wood, David Truman, Gardner Ackley, David Bell, and Willard Wirtz; Frank Erwin’s suggestions: Otis Singletary, Dean Rusk, and Eric Goldman; specifications that candidates be academically respectable, have government or public experience, show evidence of good administration skills, and gain LBJ’s acceptance; how names were submitted to the White House; how Huitt was treated as a candidate; the dean’s salary; why Rusk and Walt Rostow were not chosen; working with Joe Califano; the Johnsons’ preference for Rostow; LBJ’s teaching experience and relationship to academia; pressure on Norman Hackerman from LBJ to select a dean; Harry Ransom appointing University of Texas professors without approval; the appointments of Walt and Elspeth Rostow to the UT faculty; the White House suggestion of Gale McGee or Orville Freeman for dean; meeting with Freeman to discuss the deanship; York Willbern; traveling to visit potential candidates and how travel affected Livingston’s teaching duties; Willard Wirtz; Harlan Cleveland; David Truman; Brewster Denny; Gardner Ackley and Livingston’s intended trip to Italy to see him; the candidates’ abilities to work with/under LBJ; riding in Air Force One from Austin to D.C. with LBJ; LBJ playing with Lyn Nugent; Ramsey Clark; Tom Headrick; Wilbur Cohen; Cyrus Vance; John Gardner; reasons potential candidates might not be interested in the dean position; Frederic Cleaveland; Livingston meeting John Gronouski; Gronouski’s attributes and how he became dean; LBJ getting a car stuck in the mud at the LBJ Ranch; the Secret Service supplying LBJ with drinks as he drove around the Ranch; social visits with the Johnsons; Pat Nugent’s boat-driving skills; LBJ as a storyteller; McGeorge Bundy’s input on LBJ School-related topics; dining and staying the night at the White House; Frank Dobie staying the night in the Lincoln Bedroom; LBJ turning off the lights in the White House; Walter Cronkite and Livingston looking for a restroom in the White House; LBJ's and Luci’s visit to the monks; LBJ Foundation funding for the School; funding the construction of the Library and Sid Richardson Hall; dissolving the dean search committee; creating the School’s library and appointing Mary Louise Nelson as School librarian; LBJ’s interest in teaching and his title at the School; the state of the School at the time of the interview; selection of the admitted students; the School’s faculty; Gronouski’s views on joint appointments and tenure for faculty; the attention UT gained from the School; concerns about the School draining money from other parts of UT, staffing, and the quality of the academic program; criticism of LBJ’s interest in starting a school; LBJ’s legislative accomplishments compared to those of JFK; Hackerman’s role in the development of the School; travel and entertainment expenses Livingston incurred while on the committees.

Contributor:

Livingston, William Samuel, 1920-2013

Collection:

LBJ Library Oral Histories

Collection Description:

Go to List of Holdings

Series:

Transcripts of LBJ Library Oral Histories

See Also:

See all online interviews with William S. Livingston

Relation:

Go to Interviewee bio page

Rights:

Possibly copyright restricted: see deed at end of transcript for details