Richard L. McCormick tells what it is like to run a major state university and vividly portrays the often contentious environment in which a university president operates today. He unsparingly recounts his decade of leadership, including his own missteps - those we know about and those we didn't - as he strove to obtain resources for the university, to manage the growth and success of intercollegiate athletics, and to deepen Rutgers's acceptance of its obligations as the state university of New Jersey.

Preface and Acknowledgments

1          Six Scenes from a University Presidency

2          Coming of Age at Rutgers

3          A Difficult First Year as Rutgers President

4          The Academic Heart of the Matter

5          Intercollegiate Athletics

6          Rutgers and New Jersey

7          Getting a Medical School, Concluding a Presidency

8          Reflections on Leading Rutgers

RICHARD L. McCORMICK is President Emeritus of Rutgers University where he also serves as a University Professor and Board of Governors Professor of History and Education.