In 1957, the year the National Education Association (NEA) celebrated its 100th anniversary, the Educational Policies Commission (EPC)--a prestigious group co-sponsored by NEA and the American Association of School Administrators--published a document titled "Higher Education in a Decade of Decision." NEA intended the report to address significant policy issues within the academy and at the same time raise the national profile of NEA's higher education department. But the higher education publication did not come quickly or easily. Highlights from the report projected enrollment increases, the acute need for new faculty that could be drawn from women and minorities, and the need for academic freedom for faculty in conjunction with research and teaching, as well as the necessary power of the faculty in areas such as curriculum development. It was a stressful time for NEA and EPC, and lessons learned indicated that NEA must always be aware of its dependence on the larger association for its support and take steps to productively address issues that continue to arise. "Higher Education in a Decade of Decision" raised real and significant educational policy issues when it was published. In the current climate, a number of educational policy issues like those raised in the document of the 1950s need to be addressed by NEA and its higher education forces. One can only hope that such activity will take place, and that it will have more productive outcomes than experienced in the 1950s.