Plane was president of Clarkson College of Technology (which became Clarkson University in 1984) from 1974 to 1985. Prior to that, he served as a chemistry professor, department chair, and, from 1969 to 1973, as Provost at Cornell University. After leaving Clarkson, he returned to Cornell to lead the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva from 1986 to 1990. He was president of Wells College from 1991 to 1995. He currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In this interview clip, Plane discusses the initial lack of sympathy for coeducation at Clarkson, the founding of a women’s club hockey team to recruit women, and the refinement of Clarkson’s culture due to the presence of women students.