P: So, generally speaking, it has been successful?

R: Yes. I can just close my eyes and look at all those marvelous people. Clarence
 Ayers [Gainesville banker], for example, was on the board for a long [time]. See,
 in those days, if you were a top-notch citizen and a good board member, the
 governors never changed you. Clarence served for fifteen years.

P: But now that is not going to be true. Every four years you may get a sweep.

R: Yes. And even now, if you do not get a change, the general attitude is after eight
 years you ought to go.

P: Is that the length of time that a person is appointed, eight years?

R: No, they are appointed for four. Usually you get a second appointment, but not any
 more than that. Guy Andrews, my God, here was a man who devoted time and
 energy and effort and money to the well-being of the college, and he served
 seventeen years. That cannot happen anymore.

P: Now, you told me all of the money, all of the budget, comes from the legislature in
 Tallahassee. The endowment is from private funds.

R: Yes. We get a little bit a federal money. The community colleges get a little bit of
 federal money, not a lot. We compete for grants and that sort of stuff, and Santa
 Fe generally got its share. We were pretty good at that.

P: What percentage of the student fees [cover] the budget? Very small?

R: Yes. I would say 22 percent, maybe.

P: Are there some community colleges that are free?

R: No. The legislature sets the range of fees, not less than and not more than.

P: But in some states, tuition is free, is it not? In California?

R: Even California stopped that, Sam, a couple of years ago. Although California's fees
 are still very low.

P: But it was too big of a drain on their budget?

R: I think it was a tremendous strain. Plus, you remember, California used to treat
 what we call adult education as if it was regular enrollment and funded that the
 same as they funded college credit. Even California finally ran out of money, so they
 changed all that, and at the same time that they changed all that, they changed the
 idea of no fee at all. There was a tremendous battle in California to get a mere $50


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