Coretta King

The world is sometimes strange. One of the people I work with is a consummate networker. About 25 years ago he tried to run a bill in the legislature to address a genuine injustice that had happened at his university. We opposed it successfully. But in the two years that he tried to run the idea - we became good friends. At one point he invited me to a baseball game (he shares my enjoyment for that) with several of my good political friends at it. It was low key but he was trying to get me to rethink our position.

The issue was a complex one. The University he worked for had hired a new human relations director who was an idiot. They had a professor who was beloved and who had spent all of his professional life at the university. (His name was Devine - which somehow fit the story). Soon after the ERISA standards (on retirement plans) were adopted, universities began to cover their employees with pensions - but because of the timing, this professor had he been retired, would have been sent out to pasture with a $300 a month pension. I spoke at a convocation and met the professor at lunch which Allen had arranged. That experience got me to think about creative ways we could solve the problem. We created a task force of presidents and professors and came up with an idea - that ultimately did not go anywhere but was helpful to getting us to think about the equity in the issue. In the end, when we could not get that adopted Allen pursued the issue at the federal level and ultimately helped to get mandatory retirement eliminated.

In his mid-70s he took the performance driving course at Laguna Seca. Most of the people taking the driving experience were less than half his age. But there was Allen out there competing in a Formula One.

After we got done with the legislative Allen tried for a couple of college presidencies. Allen is Jewish. At one midwestern university he was told by the chair of the board - we are looking for a good, intelligent, Christian president. Allen replied I can do two out of three of those! But he landed in a small very specialized place in California. When he took it over it was struggling. Now it has major relationships with the close by research university and a number of other innovative joint degree programs.

Several years ago, Allen was kind enough to invite us to a Seder. It was an interesting evening made up of a polyglot of people - some rich and famous, others not. Allen and his wife Dorothy patiently explained the significance of all of the elements of the Seder. Knowing very little about Jewish traditions, it was interesting and inspirational. This was another example of his ability to connect people in a positive way.

This morning I got a note from Allen, in his matter of fact way of writing, informing me that Mrs. King had died and also offering a rememberance of her. Soon after Dr. King was assassinated, Allen and Dorothy took Mrs. King to Puerto Rico to get away. Allen had never mentioned his ties to the Kings - there is no reason why he should have. But his note and rememberance were especially touching. I should not have been surprised - that is the kind of person Allen is. But instead of reading the announcement in the paper I got it in an Email from a friend.