University Enters New Era as Three Deans Assume Positions

They both went to Harvard at about the same time, but they did not know each other as undergraduates.

They are both as much a fixture at Harvard as long lunch lines at the Union.

They have both been doing their current jobs for so long that nobody who works with them can imagine their offices without them.

They are the new and old deans of Harvard College: L. Fred Jewett '57 and John B. Fox Jr. '59, respectively. And they both earn nothing but the highest praise from those who work with them day in and day out.

Yet for all their similarities, these two deans have somewhat different styles of commanding a huge, well run efficient staff.

Fox, who yesterday took over as administrative dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, kept his large University Hall office immaculate enough to prominently display several sets of toy trains, assorted pieces of junk from the renovations to Winthrop House, and bluebooks detailing the entire history of the controversial Committee on Rights and Responsibilities.

Jewett's smaller Byerly Hall office seemed filled to the rafters with paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork, even during he relatively calm months of July and August.

And if clothes can make the man, so can his office. For these two offices, perhaps more than any others, reflect the personalities of these men, or at least their styles as reflected by their staffers.

Today's, the trains are gone from University Hall, as are Fox's methodical and meticulous craft smanship, according to former Assistant Dean of the College Marlyn M. Lewis '70.

Lewis says she thought Fox's reputation as a 'doer,' someone who gets things done, is a well-earned one. "He has a very good instinct about how to move from here to there," says Lewis.

There is nothing in place of the trains yet. "While moving across campus yesterdays, Jewett lost his BayBanks card and has barely had time to get settled. But you can be sure that within a few months, the pile of papers will be just as high in the middle of Harvard Yard as it was in the middle of Radcliffe Yard.

"I let things pile up and don't finish them of completely," says the recently named dean. He claims that if he could borrow one quality from his predecessor, it would be Fox's persistent efficiency. He praises the 6-ft., 9-in. dean for his "efficient management of a whole host of problems."

But that's not to say that the next dean of Harvard College is inefficient. On the contrary, Jewett's colleagues praise him for his discerning ability.

"He has the ability to handle an amazing amount of information and put it in some sense of order," says Admissions Officer Robert' B. Cashion.

"He sees all sides and cuts to the heart of the matter," adds Admissions Director Laura G. Fisher.

Co-workers agree that while each man is demanding, both are a pleasure to work for because of the close relationships they have with their staffs.

"I like an open door policy," says Jewett, who adds that he tries to establish close, working relationships, both internally and externally," with those around him.

Adds Cashion, Jewett "lets everybody plays a role in making decisions."

Similarly, Lewis says that Fox was particularly good "at inspring other people's loyalties."

"Fox is someone who will fight for what he believes is right for the college, but not to the exclusion of considering other people's views," adds Assistant Dean for the House System Thomas A. Dingman '67.

Problem Solvers

Moreover, each man's staff praises their bosses' problem-solving abilities. And though his critics say that Fox has been unwilling to take chances in his 10 years as dean, his colleagues say he is anything but conservative.

"His goals and visions have not been conservative or cautious," says Lewis, who terms Fox a visionary. She cited Fox's commitment to coeducation during the integration of Radcliffe in the 1970s, and his push for equal funding for women's athletics.

Jewett, too, is described as unafraid to go out on a limb. "He's not hesitant to make the tough decisions," says Dingman.

"He's not too cautious, he's just not reckless," comments Fisher.

Says Cashion: "he's not afraid to take a stand, he's just not someone who will come in and change things overnight, though." Jewett agrees with this characterization of himself. "I like to get a good deal of background before I make decisions. I'd rather be confident that what I'm doing is the right thing.

So for all the similarities between the two men, what changes will we notice in the dean of the College as Jewett succeeds Fox?

"Jewett's shorter," says Cashion