The first time I saw Dr. Oscar Fletcher was in the spring of 1989 during his visit to Iowa State University as a Dean candidate. He spoke to several groups and not only did I like what I heard, I liked the ease and skill with which he made his ideas understood. Some two and a half months later, on July 13th, just two weeks into his new responsibilities, I saw him again in the hallway of the veterinary school. It was 6:45 AM and he looked as if he had been up for awhile. I was thinking about a cup ofcoffee, my untied shoe and wrestling with a number of questions to ask him during our interview later that morning. Two hours later we sat in his office and talked about the future.