I think a lot of people got snookered by NCFA early on. NCFA was founded with 2 goals in mind, keeping records sealed and “promoting adoption.” It’s right in their incorporation papers. I think Bill downplayed the secrecy aspects of NCFA, at least when he was getting “names” to work with him. (And when it was founded in 1980, secrecy was the norm. There was no organized open record movement and open adoption was rare). This is a guess, but I’m sure Howard was promoting adoption and the rest of it went right by him. And if he thought about it, secrecy would have been normal

The people who show up in th early records of NCFA it’s pretty surprising. Dave Thomas was there for awhile, even did a golf tournament for them, and then when he found out what was going on, quietly resigned. They had a celebrity board with people like Oscar de la Renta, (he may have been on the real board, I don’t rembmer) Meryl Streep, Patti LaBelle, Scott Hamilton, and the Carruthers (ice skating brother and sister). Now the only celebrity they can get is (darn, I forget his name) a country singer.

Bill kept NCFA balanced. He always made sure that the president of the board was “pro-choice.” As an old leftie (and in some ways he maintained that) he worked easily with liberals. Atfer her retired he ridiculed the new kids on the block with their suits and their their new building, and their runs up to the White House. NCFA went from a conservative but “normal” organization to a rightwing something. I don’t know what to call it now.

NCFA was personality driven. Now it has no personalities there, and there’s no real core. It’s corporate. It’s gotten a lot more money but sometimes I think it’s running on empty On year it’s pimping international adoption, the next year domestic adoption. It’s trying to harvest moms and kids, then it’s flogging foster to adopt. It gives me a headache. I prefer the old days so much more. with its vendettas and public fights.