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L: They may not have known that Bert Riley had anything to do
with it.
P: I see.
L: Bert Riley is a sharp person and he may not have stuck his
neck out. I don't know. Stoutamire was fired.
P: He was the front man so he became the fall guy.
L: The fall guy, yes. Ed Lane then came forward, so I hear,
with Dr. Tigert's name. There was some connection that Dr.
Tigert had with Ed'Lane. I don't know that they knew each
other, but Tigert persuaded someone to approach Ed Lane, and
Ed Lane, at that time, was a very powerful figure in Florida
politics, as you know.
P: Had you ever heard of Tigert up until that time?
L: I remember seeing his name but I hadn't heard anything about
him. In my earlier discussion I mentioned an experience
with Dr. Tigert shortly after I returned to the university.
P: Before you move ahead that far, let me ask you this because I am
just curious: Tigert was also coming into the state as an
unknown. Of course he was coming from another :southern
state, Kentucky, so that would have made him a little bit
more palatable, but was there any question about him being
an unknown anymore than about Dr. Lockey?
L: No, you see, Dr. Tigert had been Commissioner of Education.
P: U. S. Commissioner.
L: He came to the state after serving for eight years. He started
in under Harding and then finished up in the Coolidge era. I
heard about his appointment as Commissioner of Education at a
time when I was very friendly toward Dr. Tigert. My attitudd
toward him was very friendly, but I was told that the American
Legion was responsible for the appointment of Dr. Tigert. They
had supported Harding for President, and the man from Texas was
commander of the American Legion, and he spoke at the University
once. He was a Texan and also his wife was an heiress from
the Ball Glass Manufacturing Company of Indiana, if you know
what I mean. They make the Mason, Ball jars. Alvin Owsley.