So let me understand - your thesis is that Foley, and his BOSS, had equal weight in the decision to pursue, select, and land Meyer? Your basis for this is that Foley was observed doing more of the legwork through the process?
You know how boss/employee relationships work, right? You know who does the “instructing”, and who does the “work”, right?
I know you’re probably a tenured professor so accountability is probably a foreign word, but in the real world, when a boss tells you to go do something, you aren’t really part of the “decision-making process”. You are, however, in the “make it happen” process.
EDIT: I posted this before reading 78’s comments stating basically the same thing. Sorry byrd, you’ve lost this one. The premise you’ve argued against was that Machen was responsible for choosing Meyer, but there is enough smoke, and common sense that says that Foley was DIRECTED by his superior to get Meyer, which eliminates the SELECTION of Meyer as something Foley should be credited with.