Architecture Chairman Resigns After 2 Years

The chairman of the Architecture Department at the Graduate School of Design submitted his resignation last Friday, citing personal dissatisfaction and an attractive job offer at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

George Anselevicius, who will leave next June with five years remaining on his seven-year appointment, said last night he has "not found the kind of personal satisfaction and flexibility I hoped for and was used to."

Anselevicius said he found the job offer from SUNY at Buffalo--which includes a departmental chairmanship--too attractive to turn down. He added, however, that his departure from Harvard was "not a monetary issue."

Critical Faculty

Maurice D. Kilbridge, dean of the Graduate School of Design (GSD), said last night that Anselevicius's administration was hindered by a "more critical, demanding" departmental faculty than Anselevicius had encountered at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

The 52-year-old naturalized American left a tenured position and deanship at the university's School of Architecture to come to Harvard in fall, 1973.

"He was in the habit of being boss," Kilbridge said. "At Harvard no one is boss."

However, Anselevicius denied having difficulties with his department. "It's not fair to put this on to the faculty," he said. He declined to elaborate further on his reasons for leaving.

Anselevicius said he had not been actively searching for a job, but had been approached by the New York school. He said he has turned down "quite a few approaches" in the past.

Edward M. Baum '60, associate professor of Architecture, said last night there have been rumors for several weeks in the department that Anselevicius was planning to leave. But "over the long haul, the resignation came as a surprise," he said.

Baum said he had heard that Anselevicius had received a better job offer and had personal reasons for leaving. He said the department has run smoothly this year and that he was aware of "no problems" the chairman had within the department.

Students reacted to Anselevicius's resignation last night with surprise. Rodney Whatley, a first-year student in Architecture, said yesterday that neither he nor other students had expected Anselevicius to leave.

Surprise, Surprise

"It's the first I've heard of it," Whatley said, looking up from his architecture textbook at the Francis K. Loeb Library in Gund Hall.

Several second- and third-year Architecture students, who asked to remain anonymous, all expressed their surprise at the news. One said he had not had the "faintest idea" that Anselevicius would resign.

Anselevicius said last night that as chairman he felt he has helped improve and expand course offerings in his department.

But Kilbridge said no substantial change had occurred in the department during Anselevicius's two-year tenure. He was brought in to fill a vacant chairmanship, Kilbridge said.

Kilbridge said he expects a new chairman to be selected by this spring. While suggestions will be solicited he said, a replacement might be chosen from a list collected by the search committee that found Anselevicius.

Anselevicius taught at the Institute of Design in Chicago, which continued the Bauhaus tradition, before going to Washington University in 1957