Although he was criticized in the African-American community for opposing forced busing, his administration was a leader in recruiting minorities and women for top administrative posts and throughout the work force. One of his early appointments was former Duquesne University and Boston Celtics basketball star Chuck Cooper, as Director of Parks and Recreation. He eliminated the Police Tactical Police Force unit which was associated by African Americans with racism during the late 1960s and especially the disturbances that erupted after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Pittsburgh was the first major city in Pennsylvania to adopt a successful affirmative action program for minorities and women.