Marking The End of An Era

A near 50-year veteran of College life and a scholar of early American literature and culture, Heimert, students and colleagues say, is wholly traditionalist--one of the last, great defenders of Old Harvard.

Last week, the Eliot leader--the most senior master in the house system--announced in a letter that, after 23 years, he will step down from his post in June.

"You might say that it's the end of an era," says Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Henry Rosovsky.

Heimert's retirement will mark turning points for both Eliot House, which has only had three masters in its entire history, and the College, for which Heimert is the last house master with a life-time appointment.

Heimert's unexpected decision came in a letter addressed to outgoing President Derek C. Bok. It was distributed to each resident of Eliot House last weekend.

"Many, indeed nearly all, our lasting friendships have been formed through Eliot House," Heimert wrote in the letter, speaking of his wife, Associate Master Arlene G. Heimert '59, and himself. "We have been delighted that so many alumni and alumnae have looked on the house as a place where they always remained welcome."

"But such joys cannot, I realize, be prolonged forever," Heimert wrote.

Maintaining Traditions

Since his appointment as Eliot Master in 1968, colleagues say, Heimert has worked to maintain University and scholarly traditions. He contributes to Eliot's 21-year-old "An Evening of Champions" benefit that donates proceeds to cancer research. He teaches a house seminar on Abraham Lincoln. And in the past few years, he has been a leading opponent of house randomization--a plan that many other masters have called crucial to ensuring undergraduate diversity.

"He stands for the preservation of traditions," says Donald Bacon '62, senior tutor of Eliot House.

Heimert's penchant for tradition occasionally sparks memorable comments: explaining the University's new alcohol policy to residents this fall, one house senior says, Heimert stood on a chair and bellowed, "those gutless cowards up in the Yard want to take away your booze."

Describing Heimert's academic work, Bacon says the Cabot professor of American Literature is "a scholar enraptured by his subjects," who include Lincoln, Jonathan Edwards and Herman Melville. Bacon says Heimert is a strong advocate of public service, calling him "radically committed to helping the underprivileged."

Life in Eliot

Although the spent his undergraduate years in Kirkland House, Heimert has been affiliated with Eliot since 1952, when he tutored there shortly before a three-year tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Korea and Japan.

In 1968, already a veteran tutor in the House, Heimert was appointed master by then-President Nathan M. Pusey '28.

Although Heimert in the past has been outspoken about his views on College life, he said in an interview last week that he won't discuss these opinions until he's had time to think through ideas that have been "muddled" by the emotional decision to step down.

Although the house is reknowned by others for its Old Harvard traditionalism, Heimert says he will most remember "An Evening of Champions" and numerous intramural crew championships.

"I've had something to look forward to every spring and fall," the outgoing master says of the races and the benefit.

'Strong Opinions'

In an introduction to Eliot's tutor facebook this year, Heimert described himself as a "cheerleader" for the house. And most students say that role makes his distinct personality felt.

"He has very strong opinions about house life," says Joel D. Kaplan '91, a former chair of Eliot's house committee. "He leaves his mark on the community."

Kaplan, explaining Heimert's stand on issues such as non-ordered choice, says that the master "sees himself as a buffer, trying to keep things in control."

Heimert was the only house master to vote against non-ordered choice, a compromise between randomization and the former first-choice system that sparked widespread debate last year. The Eliot master argued that decreased student choice would eliminate the "unique character" of the houses.

In the late 1960s, when Heimert was appointed, house masters took a strong role in creating a character for the residence. At that time, masters selected each sophomore class from among students applying for admission.

"He is supportive of the idea that houses ought to have distinct personalities," says Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57. "To do that, [Heimert thinks that] students ought to have choice in the matter."

Heimert also questioned whether non-ordered choice would effectively combat stereotypes in the houses Jewett says. "We need three or four years to see whether he is right or wrong," he says.

Although many students in the house say that Heimert is looking to protect them, some are critical of his defense of tradition.

"He's staunch about preserving tradition in Eliot," says one woman in the house who asked not to be identified. "I hope that the new master will be more liberal and open. That might change the attitude of the house, make it more liberal and diverse."

"He's a hands-off type of guy," she says. "He certainly isn't friends with that many students. He's just not that accessible of a person.

Even Heimert's supporters admit that getting to know him is no easy task. And just about everyone agrees that his personality and stand on various issues reflect his larger vision Harvard's house life--and the role of the master in protecting it.

"There is no question that few people have been as dedicated to maintaining and supporting the house system as he has," Jewett says.

"He's an incredible conservative," says Robert S. Bikel '91, who directed one of Eliot's public service programs. "He sees the house as being a family of which he is the head. He is reluctant to see the House character change."

Yet Suzanne C. Oaks '91, who agrees that "Master Heimert is very much a paternal figure in the house," says she sees that position differently. "I think that they're being very progressive in meeting the students needs," Oaks says, referring to both Heimerts.

Accepting Changes

Despite Heimert's opposition to randomization, Jewett says the Eliot master has "never stood in the way of changes that had to be made."

And Kaplan agrees, pointing to Heimert's "kegerator" tradition. Each year, Kaplan says, the master auctions off the device--a refrigerator with a carbon dioxide tank--to a group of seniors, insisting that they only serve "foreign ale."

But this time, Kaplan explains, the group is serving Old Milwaukee. "He's upset about it," Kaplan says of Heimert, "but he's seen a lot of changes in his day and he's learned to accept them."

Heimert's involvement with Eliot extends to academics, and this year, as in the past, he offers a house section of English 70, "American Literature From the Beginning to the Twentieth Century."

Having chaired the English, History and History and Literature Departments, as well as the doctoral program in the History of American Civilization, Heimert is a preeminent professor of seventeenth century America, his colleagues say.

"That has been his most significant contribution," says Michael W. Anesko, associate professor of History and Literature, who is affiliated with Eliot House. "Being a master has just been a natural extension of being a part of the community."

Senior Tutor Bacon says Heimert's work as a professor and his interest in traditional intellectualism prove that his stands on house life are more than just "political battles."

"He is morally fierce about intellectual excellence," Bacon says.

Life Before Harvard

Although he has spent a great many years at Harvard and raised two children here (a Yale first-year and a Stanford sophomore), Heimert says he never planned on life as an academic.

In fact, as a junior in high school, before recruiters came to his suburban Chicago high school, Heimert had only read about Harvard in the history books.