Leaving them Alone

Peter J. Johnson

During the 1950’s - a time when John D. Rockefeller, III was most actively engaged in institution-building, sand Don McLean was his chief associate working on problems in connection with the Third World - they concentrated their efforts chiefly on two organizations. Those were the Population Council and the Council on Economic and Cultural Affairs. The latter was the parent body of the Agricultural Development Council and the JDR, 3rd Fund.

There was no simplistic or easy route to their objective, and they deliberately accepted a more complex and difficult way of attacking the problem of world poverty and its concomitants. They followed a policy of patience to allow for the painful accumulation of facts, the development of appropriate policies, and a cooperative effort with the Third World in order to produce change. At the most basic level this involved creating organizations able to deal with the issues, and then leaving them alone to do their work. The need for "leaving alone" is not understood by most people, and Don’s acceptance of the principal was one of his most important contributions to John D Rockefeller, 3rd and to the world.

Don’s primary role was to translate JDR, 3rd ideas into reality, and in doing that he worked most closely with the Population Council and the Agricultural Development Council. He carried out an infinite number of housekeeping tasks, such as providing and staffing offices, gaining tax exemptions, and handling visa problems for fellows. But, more importantly he had to secure strong and innovative leadership.

There were initial leadership problems with both organizations.  Fred Osborn, the leading layman in the population field, was aging and also had his own private agenda. J. Lossing Buck in the agricultural field had somewhat similar handicaps. Don was a strong advocate of Frank Notestein’s demographic approach to population; when the time came to replace Osborne at the Population Council, it was natural for him to turn to Notestein.

For the Agricultural Development Council Arthur Mosher was an absolutely inspired choice to become the head, and Don was the one who persuaded the very reluctant Mosher to accept the job. I heard a story of how it happened from both Art and Don. It's well worth the telling, as follows.

Both JDR, 3rd and Don believed that he exclusively biological approach of the Rockefeller Foundation to the problems of world food supply was both useful and necessary, but did not in itself provide a solution to the overall problem. Using the reasoning of William Myers of Cornell and Ted Schultz of Chicago, they argued for a parallel social science effort that would apply the theoretical breakthroughs of the natural scientists to the reality of Third World agriculture and society. They lost that battle within the Rockefeller Foundation and decided to attempt it on their own.

After creation of the Council on Economic and Cultural Affairs (CECA) JDR, 3rd and Don carried out their search for permanent leadership of the Agricultural Development Council. They eventually settled on Art Mosher as the most qualified candidate because of his long experience in agricultural economics in both Asia and South America. 

Don approached Mosher, who was most hesitant about accepting the position. Don was intrigued by his diffidence because, as he said, most people fell all over themselves when given the chance to work with a Rockefeller. Don pushed Art for an explanation, and he finally confessed his reasons. During his study of United States assistance programs in Latin America, he had looked carefully at IBEC/AIA, the combined business and philanthropic organization created and led by Nelson Rockefeller at the end of World War II. According to Mosher, Nelson would come up with a marvelous new idea  for instance something to do with the marketing of agricultural commodities - that he believed would remake the world in six months. Everybody had to stop but they were doing and go to work on the new project. But when the world was not completely done over in six months, Nelson would become discouraged and shift to some newer scheme. Then everyone would have to go work on that one.

Art Mosher said he could not accept interference from on high in the conduct of his work, and that it was essential his sponsors have the patience to wait for fifteen or twenty years, if necessary, before seeing evidence of progress and change. Don saw the wisdom of that philosophy, reported it to JDR 3rd, and persuaded him to accept it. 

Over the next twenty years both JDR, 3rd and Don we're consistently supportive of Mosher and the ADC, never interfering on matters of policy or personnel. Don's critical role in establishing the creative independence of the ADC may have been one of his greatest contributions to the public interest and to the welfare of millions in the Third World.

Peter J Johnson, New York City, worked with Don McLean in the late 70’s in the compilation of the record of John D Rockefeller 3rd.

To help meet some of the urgent needs

Arthur. T. Mosher

Soon after World War II Mr. John D Rockefeller, 3rd decided that he wanted a major part of his philanthropy to be related to Asia. He was quite clear about what he wanted to accomplish, but less certain about how to go about it. He wanted his activities to help meet some of the urgent needs of people in Asia. He also wanted to recognize, and bring to the attention of Americans, some of the cultural achievements of Asians.

What kind of the program would best serve those purposes? What kind of an organization could create that program?

It was at that point that Don McLean came into the picture and played a unique role. To reflect the breath of Mr. Rockefeller's interests in Asia. Work with Mr. Rockefeller in selecting an appropriate name - The Council on Economic and Cultural Affairs - to reflect the breath Mr. Rockefeller's interest in Asia. He played the leading role in selecting a Board of Trustees composed of persons who had had long-term personal acquaintance with Asia. He made the talent search to identify an appropriate Chief Executive Officer - one who would have the personal support of Mr. Rockefeller and the professional technical standing to develop and direct the council’s activities in Asia

When, after 10 years, Don perceived that it would be better to separate the cultural affairs of the Council from its economic activities and to give the latter a more descriptive name he played a leading role in creating the JDR, 3rd Fund to concentrate on cultural affairs and the Agricultural Development Council to concentrate on economic and human problems in in rural development in Asia.

In these various activities, Don brought a combination of skills not frequently found together. His training as a lawyer enabled him to give appropriate administrative structure to each proposed program. His close rapport with Mr. Rockefeller enabled him to interpret to him the significance of what professional technical people were proposing in the way of programs. His warmth as a human being contributed substantially to a productive camaraderie among staff, officers, and trustees of each organization.

Don became an elected member of the Trustees of the Agricultural Development Council in 1965 and President of the Trustees in 1974. He continued in that position until 1979, when he reached the councils mandatory retirement age for trustees.

Don had strong convictions about how an organization should be run. To him, the responsibility of a Board of Trustees was to select a Chief Executive Officer, and then either back or replace him; it was nothing Trustees role to participate in day-to-day administration.

His concept of his role in those Rockefeller organizations was consistent with that. "I am no expert on that" he frequently said, "but I know how to find and recruit the cooperation of those who are."

He certainly did! 

Art Mosher was Executive Director and the President of the Agricultural Development Council. At the age of 23 he went to India to become instructor in agricultural engineering, developing an extension service serving 500 villages. In the mid-1950s fifties he made an in-depth study of agricultural programs in Latin America. He has written many articles and consulted widely on programs of agricultural development.

Laughter with - but not at

Clifton R. Wharton, Jr.

I first met Don McLean in 1957. He was working with John D. Rockefeller, 3rd, and I had just joined the Agricultural Development Council, an organization Mr. Rockefeller had set up to strengthen the rural social sciences in Asia. During the early days of our friendship I learned that Don was warm, sincere, direct, honest, and unfailingly courteous with people from all walks of life. I marveled at his unassuming personality and his ability to subordinate his ego within the context of his role. He performed superbly, of course, providing wise counsel and advice at all times.

Over the years, a quality I came to appreciate particularly in Don was his great sense of humor. One of my many wonderful memories is of the story he loved to tell, dating from the early 1960’s. On a flight from United States to Asia, he had a chance to sit next to a new ADC visiting professor who was on his way to his university assignments abroad. The professor did not know Don. For the entire flight, Don quizzed and probed the professor about the Agricultural Development Council. What was it? What would the professor's role be? I can still imagine the twinkle must've brightened his eye: "So you say this is one of those do-gooder organizations of the Rockefeller's? Come on - what are they really up to over there? You don't really expect all this academic bushwah to fill peasants stomachs do you?"

And then how Don must have laughed with - but not at - his new acquaintance when he finally confessed who he was.

Don had an incomparable way with people, along with a knack for getting right to the heart of any problem or issue. Once he had made up his mind about something, he liked to put his decisions into action without delay. I would go to him for advice or to sound him out on some proposal proposed solution to a problem. "Okay, Cliff," he would respond. "Are we buying or selling?” And off we would go on our joint crusade. 

Don was with the "natural aristocracy” -the elite of intelligence, energy, and humaneness. He had several careers - with the ADC, the Population Council, the Asia Society, the Magsaysay Foundation, the Leahy Clinic Medical Center, his beloved Andover. In each he unfailingly distinguished himself. In his quiet way he made the world a little better place to live in. 

As for me, I respected Don’s talents, appreciated his support, treasured his friendship. I am the better for having had the privilege to know and work with him. Like so many others whose lives he touched, I miss Don McLean.

Clifton R. Wharton, Jr. was Vice President of the Agricultural Development Council. He has served on the staffs of several universities and agencies around the world, was President of Michigan State University 1970 - 1978 and since then he has been Chancellor of the 64 campus State University of New York system. He has written and spoken widely, and serves on the boards of several corporations as well as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Rockefeller Foundation of which he is past Chairman.