Gordon resigned in March 1971, following a vote of "no-confidence" by a committee of senior faculty, attributing his resignation to growing criticism from the university's faculty. "The New York Times" stated that "Dr. Gordon's four years at Johns Hopkins were dogged by deteriorating finances, faculty complaints over pay and academic priorities, and students rebellious over the 'relevance' of their educations." Although Gordon had agreed to remain until an interim successor could be named, he left town abruptly, forcing the trustees to move quickly; they asked Gordon's predecessor, Milton S. Eisenhower, to return in an emergency capacity.