P: [J.] Hillis Miller [president of the University of Florida 1948-1954] is now president
 when you arrive on campus?

R: That is correct.

P: [John J.] Tigert [president of the University of Florida 1928-1947] is gone.

R: Right. And, of course, Walter Matherly is the dean [of the College of Business
 Administration].

P: Tell me about Matherly.

R: Well, of course, I have a very warm spot in my heart for Walter Matherly because
 he was a great help to me personally. First of all, as you know, he was a marvelous
 speaker, very people oriented, very accessible; in my opinion, a very fine gentleman.
 I also forgot to tell you that the contract was for two years, because that was the
 days of the bi-annual budget. Well, when the second year rolled around, I went to
 see the dean. I said, "Dean Matherly, I have a second child. I can hardly make both
 ends meet with this salary." He said, "Alan, you know, there is nothing I can do until
 the next budget rolls around, and then I will do the best I can." So I struggled
 along, and then came the fall of 1951 and I got a $400 raise.

P: That was a big raise.

R: But still, in the total scheme of things, really not enough. So I went to see the dean
 again. He said, "Well, Alan, that is really all I can do. I just do not have the money.
 But," he said, "there may be a job opening that I can recommend you for which will
 pay some more." The battle on the medical school was, I think, just under way in
 the legislature.

P: Right.

R: He said, "The Chamber of Commerce is going to support the University's efforts and
 they want to hire a person at the chamber to do research as necessary for the
 delegation, and to be fully available to support the effort to make sure the medical
 school comes here." And he said, "I am going to recommend you for that job."
 Well, he did, and I went down and interviewed and got hired. I took a one year
 leave of absence and worked at the chamber, and got paid $5,200.

P: Boy! You were being paid as much as the president of the University.

R: And I bought a car, Sam. [Laughter] I bought a second hand Chevrolet for $750.
 But, Walter Matherly, you know, did that, and for one year I worked there. The big
 argument, as I remember, was "You cannot put a medical school in a little town like
 Gainesville." There will not be anybody to go there, there will not be patients to see,
 there will not be anything, [and] it needs to be in Jacksonville.


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