Harvard Elevators: So Many Stories

Going up? Unless you're Richard Simmons or a truly dedicated Stair Master user, that likely means doing anything possible to bypass one or more of Harvard's 2,000 flights of stairs.

And Frank J. Moore, the man behind Harvard's 300 elevators, recognizes the necessity to consider such alternatives.

Moore, Harvard's chief electrical inspector and elevator guru, is charged with running and maintaining the old and new elevators, the faster ones and the slower ones, the ones that groan going up and those that are programmed to buzz at every floor.

He has worked at Harvard for 35 years, the past 20 of which he has spent overseeing the campus' vertical transportation.

A graduate of the Coyne Trade School, and an electrician by trade, Moore spends his on-duty hours fielding elevator complaint calls, acting as a code compliance officer, and maintaining the vehicles after the warranty period.

He takes his job as swami of the elevators very seriously. In addition to the usual inspections and repairs, he spends his leisure time standing in the back of random cars and listening in for rider feedback on his machines.

Moore's fleet is diverse in type as well as in personality. In addition to passenger elevators, it includes handicapped lifts, dumb waiters and freight elevators, which are divided into electric and hydraulic-powered mechanisms.

While the fleet consists of nine Holyoke Center elevators that beam passengers up at a roaring velocity of 400 feet per minute, the dinosaurs on campus include a small Claverly Hall machine that creaks and bumps along at 100 feet per minute.

Claverly's jalopy, however, has its advantages--if one likes glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling and its easily disconnectable light.

Those with a yen for elevator trivia should know that Claverly's pride and joy is the oldest Harvard elevator, datingfrom the early 20th century. The brand new Ferrarion the Harvard elevator scene is a sleek andup-to-date handicapped accessible hydraulic liftin Greenough Hall.

Unfortunately, the fleet includes moodyvehicles that sporadically break down and thenresume normal operations--before the problem canbe pinpointed, Moore said.

And an elevator in Widener Library keepsoccupants on their toes when it shakes ever soslightly as it approaches the top floor.

"It's as old as Widener Library itself andthat's enough," said one passenger.

Harvard's elevators are inspected annually,Moore said, and any violations or recommendationsare written up for him to examine and correct.Recent suggestions for improvement have includedrepacking a piston, installing a light guard, andsecuring a top floor heist way floor track.

While Moore said that only one empty elevatorhas fallen, at 65 Mount Auburn St., he said thatthe cars get stuck about once a month.

But not to fear, Moore said. He promised thatall major work is done as soon as possible. Whileno one elevator can ever be perfect, Moore said hesaid he doesn't encounter many problems.

He cited the lack of malicious vandalism,unlike at "certain local colleges" where elevatordestruction runs rampant. He said Harvardstudents, at worst, play pranks such as rewiringthe elevator buttons.

Many elevator users say that despite themuch-heralded new lifts, they are still unhappywith the long delays they experience.

Kathleen Forbes, a volunteer at UniversityHealth Services, said that the elevators atHolyoke Center are "slow, but busy."

Although Moore claimed that the elevatorsconsistently run smoothly, confusion and seriousproblems recently resulted in Quincy House asupperclassmen found one of the two elevatorsbroken on move-in day.

"If you live on the seventh floor, it's quite ahike, especially if you're moving boxes," saidKatherine A. Shields `94.

Phillip H. Kuo `94 added, "It was a pain movingin. People who flew in had to bring theirsuitcases all the way up."

Passengers in Claverly Hall seemed considerablyhappier with their old machine.

Claverly Hall Custodian Mike Sullivan warnedthat people should not use the machine if they areclaustrophobic. But to Sullivan, uniquenessconquers all, and he declared that he has "thebest elevator on campus because there is only onelike it.

Unfortunately, the fleet includes moodyvehicles that sporadically break down and thenresume normal operations--before the problem canbe pinpointed, Moore said.

And an elevator in Widener Library keepsoccupants on their toes when it shakes ever soslightly as it approaches the top floor.

"It's as old as Widener Library itself andthat's enough," said one passenger.

Harvard's elevators are inspected annually,Moore said, and any violations or recommendationsare written up for him to examine and correct.Recent suggestions for improvement have includedrepacking a piston, installing a light guard, andsecuring a top floor heist way floor track.

While Moore said that only one empty elevatorhas fallen, at 65 Mount Auburn St., he said thatthe cars get stuck about once a month.

But not to fear, Moore said. He promised thatall major work is done as soon as possible. Whileno one elevator can ever be perfect, Moore said hesaid he doesn't encounter many problems.

He cited the lack of malicious vandalism,unlike at "certain local colleges" where elevatordestruction runs rampant. He said Harvardstudents, at worst, play pranks such as rewiringthe elevator buttons.

Many elevator users say that despite themuch-heralded new lifts, they are still unhappywith the long delays they experience.

Kathleen Forbes, a volunteer at UniversityHealth Services, said that the elevators atHolyoke Center are "slow, but busy."

Although Moore claimed that the elevatorsconsistently run smoothly, confusion and seriousproblems recently resulted in Quincy House asupperclassmen found one of the two elevatorsbroken on move-in day.

"If you live on the seventh floor, it's quite ahike, especially if you're moving boxes," saidKatherine A. Shields `94.

Phillip H. Kuo `94 added, "It was a pain movingin. People who flew in had to bring theirsuitcases all the way up."

Passengers in Claverly Hall seemed considerablyhappier with their old machine.

Claverly Hall Custodian Mike Sullivan warnedthat people should not use the machine if they areclaustrophobic. But to Sullivan, uniquenessconquers all, and he declared that he has "thebest elevator on campus because there is only onelike it.