Quiet Strength in University 4

Back in the days when a summons to 4 University Hall usually meant disciplinary action, Harvard College developed a tradition for great and powerful Deans. Perhaps the greatest and most powerful-and the kindest-was the now legendary Dean Briggs. It was in his tradition that Chester N. Greenough ruled. And it was in Greenough's footsteps that a quiet, pipe smoking assistant professor of Government hesitatingly assumed the Deanship in 1927.

After twenty years-six longer than anyone else-A. Chester Hanford resigned as dean of the College. Not only had he carried on the tradition of Briggs and Greenough, but as Provost Buck said, he had "added new lustre to it." Having give twenty years of his life to the job, he now wanted a chance to do more research, writing, and teaching in his first love: municipal and state government.

Today, in his soft-spoken way, ex-Dean Hanford is indulging in that love. Now he can give his Government 140 lectures or take trips back up into New England to investigate small towns without worrying about the livelihood of 4,000 young men. He can teach a junior non-honors tutorial section in Adams and spend more time on his gardening.

In spite of his present life, for twenty years the name Hanford was synonymous with Harvard College. Those two decades saw the building and establishment of the Houses which he supervised. They also saw Hanford become the strongest advocate of tutorial and general examinations. Virtually alone, he proved the worth of the National Scholarships.

As well as being an administrator, Hanford is a humanist. He faced practically every conceivable undergraduate situation; nothing was new to him. Yet his philosophy made him consider each situation afresh because there was different person involved. Members of the administrative board used to smile expectantly while awning Hanford's word on what second to be a certain case for expulsion. He would lean back in his back at the head of the table, a smile on his face, and say, "Gentlemen, lee's go over the facts again. We've got to be sure we are being fair." And the board would reexamine the complaint. "The students used to practically thank him for expelling them," says another baby dean, recalling Hamford's attempts to lean over backwards to be fair.

His attempts at fairness, his genuineness, frank concern and good humor made it impossible for students to regret going to the Dean's Office, one of his former "baby deans" recalls.

Hannford recalls that be was hesitant to accept President Lowell's promotion to the Dean's Office. "I would have been the first Dean who was not a graduate of Harvard College and I felt that it just was not the thing to do." he accepted when Munro reminded him that the position would be only for few years until Lowell resigned. President Lowell himself passed on some advice from his brother, a judge; "Get all the facts you can, consider them carefully, make your decision, then forget it." For twenty years he did just that, though his friends knew that in spite of his good humor, he forget his decisions only with difficulty.

"Chester Hanford is the one person who is always thinking of the other fellow," Lambic explains. "Most of us haven't got it in us. No matter what happens he is thoughtful. I would call it quiet strength."

Today, done with decanal duties, he sits back in his Littauer Office and modestly recalls his friendship with President Lowell and his deep interest in fostering tutorial. "Self education lies at the basis of the tutorial system," he explains, "with the tutor around to help get a better grasp of the subject." In his office hang autographed pictures from Presidents Conant and Lowell. Under Lowell's there is the inscription, "In gratitude to Dean Alfred C. Hanford for raising the respect for scholarship at Harvard College." He still leans back in his chair, a twinkle in his eyes, unlit pipe in hand, thinking carefully about phrasing each word just as he must have done in 4 University Hall for twenty years.