ABSTRACT
Vacation of an office by the advancement, death, or transfer of its occupant was followed by a period of silence and suspense as to who the successor would be. Except in case of sudden death, there had usually been some planning for the vacancy, but this was often vague even to those who counted themselves as likely candidates. Wagers were made with odds given and taken on two or more possible candidates. While supporters of a candidate pointed to his favorable qualities such as age, experience, education, personality, influence, and family conduct, others noted cases where these factors meant nothing. The behavior of both those with and without hope of being chosen showed conviction personal factors would decide, and that the choice would have personal consequences for subordinates. The cases of L. Jackson and Revere point up both the complexities of career motivation and the play of personal relations in planned organizations.
