Series 3: Civic leaders, 2006-2013, inclusive

In this first of four interviews, Robert MacCrate recollects the life of his grandparents and for a long period, tells the life-story of his father, who was a Brooklyn based lawyer and later, congressman and federal judge. He moves into a discussion of his own time in college and recounts the ways in which his life has been intertwined with a friend from Haverford. MacCrate describes his first job at the Sullivan & Cromwell law firm and his move back to New York City from Harvard in Boston. He also mentions that in 1959 he became the general counsel to the Governor of New York. MacCrate discusses what is popularly—although unfairly, according to him—called "The MacCrate Report," which was released by The American Bar Association Task Force on Law Schools and the Profession (which he chaired). Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.

In this second of four interviews, Robert MacCrate discusses his time as general counsel to Nelson Rockefeller. He spends much of this section discussing his role in the re-structuring of the public higher education system in New York State. He also talks about his role in reorganizing the court system in the state. He provides insight into the politicking and importance of compromise that is integral to government. MacCrate then moves into a discussion about the history of Sullivan & Cromwell. He recalls his role in investigating the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. He details how he was contacted by the Army, and the background of My Lai. He talks about the trip he took to Vietnam, and the process of the investigation itself as well as the report he published and its repercussions. Within the final hour, MacCrate reads a lengthy speech, first delivered in 1971, about My Lai and his views on war. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.

In this third of four interviews, Robert MacCrate focuses on his relationship with and life in Brooklyn. He begins with reminiscing about his family life and his children. MacCrate recalls his own childhood, talking about public transportation he used to take to get to school and then moving into a discussion of New York's subways. Next, he talks about his role in redrawing congressional districts in New York City after 1960's census. He describes how his new borders stressed community representation. He launches into a discussion of baseball in Brooklyn. He recollects his childhood as a fan of the Dodgers and his efforts in government work to deed Queens parkland to create Shea Stadium. MacCrate then moves into a philosophical speech about of the role of law in society, and how he has an untenable faith in idealism. From here he talks for quite some time about his time in school. He mentions the cultural characteristics of Greenpoint when he was little. This moves him into a discussion about the different ethnic neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Manhattan. MacCrate ends by recounting a trip he took to Washington when Roosevelt declared war in 1941. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.

In this fourth of four interviews, Robert MacCrate first appreciates a few people who greatly influenced him. He talks about many court cases in which he's been involved and observes the business advances he has seen since he started working. He thanks the people that mentored him and motivated him to join professional associations outside of his firm, and talks about the importance of networking. MacCrate relates a history of Sullivan & Cromwell. He philosophizes on law, then discusses his role in and the importance of court reorganization and modernization. He stresses the need for women and minorities to join the legal profession, and recalls his role in creating the American Bar Association Commission on Women; he chose Hillary Clinton as chair. He traces the paths of his children and some grandchildren. He discusses the various boards and committees he has chaired or served on since the 1970s. MacCrate prides himself on his involvement in the dialogue about legal education and the profession. He describes the process of creating what has been popularly named "the MacCrate Report," and its repercussions in the legal world. In closing, he mentions his outlook on his future. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.

In this first of two interviews, Richard "Dick" Parsons describes impressionable sights and feelings about being a small boy in Brooklyn in the 1950's. He recalls his passion for the Brooklyn Dodgers at two points, and shares special memories of Coney Island, riding trolleys, Prospect Park, seeing movies, and street games. A short description of home life is followed by the family's uprooting and resettling in Queens. Parsons relates his public school experience, basketball playing, and his surprising turn to attend the University of Hawaii. In closing, he describes his unpreparedness for life in the new fiftieth state, how he fit in, and some classmates' understanding of the northeast United States. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.

In this second of two interviews, Richard "Dick" Parsons begins with a quick run-through of his career timeline from circa 1970 to 1995. He recalls his early encounters with government work in Albany and contrasts the surroundings of Washington, D.C. with Albany. He touches on a few biographical details of his children and moving the family for different opportunities, with some time spent at the Rockefeller estate in Pocantico, New York. Parsons relates his adjusting from work in the Ford White House to private litigation at Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler. He describes his preparing for leadership at Dime Bancorp. Turning philosophical, Parsons observes the importance managing people and having judgement, and just how much those skills are transferable. In closing, Parsons cites the people who mentored him, discusses economic failure in the face of the 2008 Great Recession, and details a bit more about his family tree. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan with Deborah Schwartz.

In this interview, Martha "Marty" Rubin remembers some features of Brooklyn neighborhoods, in particular how they had developed and survived more polluted periods. She recommends narrators that could also speak to Brooklyn heritage and landmarks, and this leads into her description of some community activism to alter the path of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Rubin recalls her first encounter with Brooklyn and how her family has thrived there. She goes back to her own childhood; describing Abilene, Texas, her father's respect for science—particularly Darwin's writing—and her mother's stereotypical "ladylike" sensibilities. Rubin tells her experiences of higher education, including time at Occidental College and Radcliffe, as well as debating whether a graduate degree in archaeology or anthropology was best for her. She talks about the formation of Saint Ann's School as a private institution and the many ways her family has been part of it. In closing, she remembers the thrill of first owning a home and discovering community in Brooklyn, and how the borough dodged the skyscraper boom of Manhattan. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.

In this interview, Ronald Shiffman remembers the struggling Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, and Fort Greene neighborhoods of Brooklyn, their decaying housing situations and the various forms that revitalization took over decades. He recalls the forming of Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, and several other alliances and partnerships that came out of efforts of the Pratt Center for Community Development (PCCD). He looks back on fifty years of urban development in the area around Pratt Institute. He tells of the community investment activities of the Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council. Shiffman discusses how social movements for the nation affected federal funding and local action for community development. He describes resistance from Pratt's administration to some partnerships of PCCD that appeared suspicious. Draft counseling and reaction to veterans back from Vietnam are also part of his reflections. Shiffman closes with the advice that select manufacturing and housing can co-mingle safely in the 2000s; remarking that the Brooklyn Navy Yard needs to have improved connections to the adjoining neighborhoods for better social and economic impact. Interview conducted by Alexis Taines Coe.

In this interview, Esther Leeming Tuttle begins with her memories of being raised in Connecticut and Brooklyn. She recalls the architectural ingenuity of both parents and how her mother oversaw two different conversions of homes into multi-apartment dwellings in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. Tuttle remembers the arrangements of the family and house staff at her childhood home. She recalls Brooklyn cultural institutions like the Apprentices' Library, early models of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Institute of Arts and Sciences. She refers to the upper class residents and influential shapers of Brooklyn in centuries gone by; some were ancestors or friends of her parents. Tuttle shares the process and decision-making that led her and her husband to a home in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn in order to raise a family. She adds that the couple enjoyed spectacular views from a Prospect Park West apartment years later. After sharing some details about her children's experiences of growing up in Brooklyn, she details much about her volunteer work with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. After several other historical subjects, including family contact with Samuel Clemens and Henry Ward Beecher, Tuttle closes with some of her favorite sights and sounds of the borough. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.

In this interview, Norbert Weissberg talks about his childhood in Brooklyn and how his Brooklyn community and the events of World War II influenced his life. Touching on many biographical details, Weissberg recalls PS 241 where he attended elementary school and the fun he had with friends playing street games and following sports like Dodgers baseball. He remembers being raised as a Conservative Jew, maintaining a kosher household, and going to the Catskills for Passover, like many New York families. Weissberg describes his parents' community; they would attend performances at the Metropolitan Opera House weekly and on Thursdays his mother would host a mahjong club. He notes how the family consumed New York media; his father read the New York Post and PM, while he listened to Uncle Dan and Mayor LaGuardia's broadcasts. The news of Pearl Harbor in 1941 was pivotal for his worldview as a young boy. Weissberg delves into his Jewish identity, then considers antisemitism and how his two children both think differently on the subject. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.

In this interview, Shelby Baier White talks about her childhood in Brooklyn with inspired recollections of Jewish community in Flatbush; names and memories of neighborhood businesses and restaurants; influential teachers in both public school and at Packer Collegiate Institute; and enjoying Brooklyn institutions like Brooklyn Public Library and Brooklyn Museum. She remembers the impact of World War II when she was a small child. White describes the recreation and sport she enjoyed in Prospect Park and Ebbets Field. She also recalls her religious education and the family's religious practices, as well as her participation in clubs and camp. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan. Scope note by Sady Sullivan.