The Supreme Court had ruled that no state could operate a single-sex institution

of higher education, and a few young women had, with great fanfare, enrolled at The

Citadel, the renowned school in Charleston, S.C., which had been giving young men a

military education since before the Civil War. Two of the female cadets had since left

the school and, again with great fanfare, filed suit against the school for the hazing they

had suffered. General Poole is rather slow speaking, but very moving as a figure trying

to steer his beloved institution (he is himself an alumnus) through its current shoals.

WFB: "Are you retroactively satisfied that the news of what did happen reached your

office expeditiously?" RCP: "No, sir, I am not. I was flabbergasted that I did not know

these things were going on."