The senior trustees resigned.

As a first step toward reducing the board's size, 29 senior trustees resigned, including the men who had dominated the school for the past two decades.

He was also senior trustee of the Next Century Foundation, a peace process organisation he helped establish.

In addition, there are two senior trustees, each with a 15-year term.

A simple majority is enough to decide the entire family's vote, with William Clay Ford Sr. designated as the senior trustee.

But Mr. Byrne, who is the board's senior trustee and served as chairman from 1985 to 1993, said the actual procedure has been different.

He is senior trustee of the Next Century Foundation.

He was active, usually as senior trustee, until 1660.

At her death, she was also the senior trustee of the Harlem School of the Arts.

"For too many people, for too long a time, this museum was a big stone front," said Donald J. Hall, the senior trustee.