THE INTERVIEW FOR THE PRESIDENCY Dr. Burks announced his retirement, and so the question is coming up, 'Are you going to put your hat in the ring for this?' You know, and that was the most talked about, gossiped about, thing in Searcy, Arkansas, for probably five years, you know. So when the board set the process in motion, the first thing was you had co apply with a letter of interest and then you had to answer about 10 questions. It was like writing another dissertation. The board decided never ever to divulge who was being considered, even when they were finalists, for the sake of the people involved --- worse kept secret in the history of the world, but at least the board didn't tell who it was and all. John Simmons was chairman of the board at that time and John called me up one afternoon to tell me that I made it through to the second round.... Then there was a battery of maybe 14 questions. A lot of them had multiple parts, and it was a lot more writing and all. This time it was just wanting to know about how I viewed all kinds of things about our code of conduce and our charter and all these sorts, and leadership issues in general and all. So then you turn loose of that, and it's in their hands. Then I get the call that I'm one of the finalists, and they didn't even tell me how many others there were. Later on, everybody figured out there were five. And so then they met with us in a hotel in Little Rock right next door to Emmanuel Baptise church. The whole board came in, and they had these two-and-a-half-hour interviews. We were to walk in through a certain door, and we were interviewed. Then we walked out another door, and none of us were supposed to see each other and all that. Like I said, worst kept secret in the history of the world. But they tried. But for the face-to-face interview, you walk into this room, and there's a round table. There are sixpeople at the table, and your interaction is to be with them. The rest of the Board ofTruscees is at these rectangular tables all over the room. And so they are there as spectators, and they're watching. They don't say anything, you don't say anything to them. You're there with these folks around this table... . The people at the table had a script, and I think it was 18 questions that they walked me through. And when they finished, if anybody sitting at the other tables had a question, they wrote it on a card and handed it in to these folks and then they asked me and everything. When it was over, I left the room and went out. Ann picked me up in our blue minivan. And I said, 'Krispy Kreme, as fast as you can go. I want the biggest, fattest cream filled donut they have. It's time for some comfort food.' So then it was in the hands of the board. Their plan was to get together at Homecoming that year, and the regular board meeting would be replaced with the selection committee meeting. And then at the Black and Gold Dinner that night, John Simmons gets up and updates us on the process, and he said, 'People ask, how are we doing? It's going along really well, you know, we're on schedule.' He kind of chuckled and said, 'Matter of fact, we're way ahead of schedule.' They were hoping to get together one more time and have the announcement in February. And so I thought, 'They may have decided.' The next day was the dedication of Legacy Park --- the first buildings of Legacy. And so I was there for the dedication, and John Simmons saw me and said, 'Is there a time this afternoon I could come over and visit with you and Ann?' And I thought 'They have decided. I don't know ifl'm it or not, but they have decided.' And so he came over, and he asked if I would be willing to be Harding's fifth president. It was one of those moments where you know your whole life just changed. In 1986, President Bruce McLartyand his family, Ann, Jessica and Charity, have a family portrait taken by Olan Mills, a photography studio headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After returning from Kenya, the McLartyfamily settled in Cookeville, Tennessee, where Bruce McLartypreachedfor the College Side Church ofChrist for six years before moving back to Searcy, Arkansas, where he would become the preacher for College Church of Christ for 14 years. I photo courtesy of Bruce McLarty 191 I PRESIDENT
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