This paper traces the growth, decline, and termination of the State University of New York Biomedical Communication Network (SUNY/BCN). It is noted that SUNY/BCN became operational in 1968 with nine medical library members and provided the first online access to the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS) of the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The paper examines the early history of SUNY/BCN from 1968 to 1973 and its later years, from 1974 to 1977, when the network stopped functioning and Bibliographic Retrieval Services (BRS) began providing service to former users. It is suggested that the system ended because it lacked a clear definition of scope, because its governance was not well defined, because users were not given high priority time on the computer, and because users doubted SUNY Central Administration's long-term commitment to the continuance of SUNY/BCN. (Author/ESR)