Interview with Thomas A. Tombrello - Caltech Oral Histories

Tombrello–137
TOMBRELLO: I don’t think they were intentionally rude. I just think—
ASPATURIAN: Just the way they were.
TOMBRELLO: Yes. A bit self-important perhaps. I don’t know what it was. But I believe the
trustees were not happy with Murph or with Mildred. Inside Caltech, and I think I’m quoting
Christy, “This was not a successful presidency.” Then he picked Robbie Vogt as provost—
ASPATURIAN: Yes, I was going to ask about that. How did he happen to pick Robbie as provost?
TOMBRELLO: I don’t know. I don’t know the inside part of that. Robbie had been PMA division
chair. I’d had my difficulties with Robbie. From there, Robbie was kicked upstairs. There was
a fight almost immediately. Murph got to see the dark side of Robbie, the fits and anger that was
just always uncontrollable. Also, Robbie probably had more vision than Murph, and in many
ways more charisma. Because when Robbie is “on,” Robbie is really “on.” So you had the two
sides of Robbie, and he and Murph just did not get on. The trustees got dragged into the middle
of it, and I think I talked the other day about when all of that came unglued [Session 4].
ASPATURIAN: Yes, I do have a question about that. This maybe shows a little of my naïveté
about university politics. But when a president and a provost just no longer get along, doesn’t
the provost serve at the pleasure of the president? Or is it more complicated than that?
TOMBRELLO: In this case, when the trustees get dragged into it, and they don’t like the president,
then it becomes more complicated.
ASPATURIAN: I see. I see.
TOMBRELLO: I think we lost a number of trustees over this.
ASPATURIAN: You mean they bailed from the board?
http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechOH:OH_Tombrello_T