Newest Overseers Discuss Goals

In the 1980s, elections for the University's Board of Overseers were often marked by controversy and mudslinging.

In the wake of controversy engulfing apartheid-ridden South Africa, some students and alumni called on the University to divest of its South Africa-related stock.

And in an effort to turn the elections into something of a referendum on the issue, the Harvard-Radcliffe Alumni Against Apartheid (HRAAA) began nominating candidates by petition to run against the official slate.

The challenge produced a defensive reaction from University administrators and members of the Corporation, the University's more powerful governing board. They began lobbying against what they called "single-issue," "second-rate" candidates.

The HRAAA succeeded in getting four of its candidates--among them South African Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu--elected to the board.

But as the political climate of the late 1980s changed and the South African government began making some improvements in its treatment of Blacks, pressure for divestment subsided and attention shifted elsewhere.

And since the beginning of the decade, without a contentious issue on which to focus, overseers elections have been uncannily quiet.

1995 was no exception. And as a result, the five new overseers say they are still developing ideas about what they want to do over the next six years.

Even so, their appointment on June 8 offers them a significant opportunity to take a hand in the University's governance.

The new overseers will meet at least five times per year, advising the University's president and influencing its policies. The overseers also visit andevaluate faculties, departments and other programsthroughout the University.

Problems of Internationalization

Dr. John C. Baldwin '71, the chair of thedepartment of Surgery at Baylor College ofMedicine, says during his tenure he will emphasizethe need to integrate international students morefully into the University.

He says the internationalization of Harvard mayhave resulted in isolated "pockets" of studentsand adds that this impedes the discussions andsharing of ideas that are among the most importantbenefits of a diverse population.

"That very essential part of undergraduatelife--that sort of free exchange--may beinfluenced by more international students," hesaid in a telephone interview. "Bringing people inand maintaining a cultural island is not what wewant."

Baldwin says recent visits to campus have givenhim the impression that the isolation ofinternational students is a problem.

"There may be some element of pockets ofstudents whose ideas and interests may not befully appreciated or experienced by otherstudents," he says. "I had the sense of more ofthat sort of separation of groups than I did whenI was an undergraduate."

Indeed, Baldwin points to the diverse array ofpeople he met as "the greatest benefit of my[experience]" at the University.

"Anything that diminishes that throughisolating groups of students I think is a loss tothe fabric of the College," he says.

Baldwin says he has taken advantage of allHarvard had to offer. In college, he was a memberof Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude inanthropology.

In his spare time, he participated in theCrimson Key Society ("I love history and I lovetelling people about Harvard," he says). He alsoserved on the Undergraduate Council and theFreshman Council, and participated in HarvardRadcliffe Combined Charities through the PhillipsBrooks House.

Baldwin attended Harvard during the late 1960s,a time when student demonstrations against theVietnam War rocked the University. He stronglydefends former president Nathan M. Pusey '28, whowas criticized by many students at the time forhis handling of campus protests.

After graduating in 1971, Baldwin studiedphysiology at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar beforeattending Stanford Medical School.

Before moving to Baylor, he served on thefaculties at Stanford and Yale.

Now, he spends about 60 percent of his time asa surgeon specializing in heart and lungtransplants. He spends the rest of his time inteaching, research and administration.

Baldwin has three sons: Alistair, a member ofthe class of '99; Benjamin, 17; and Andrew, 12.

Concerned About Finance

Peter C.B. Bynoe '72, the chair of Chicago'sTelemat Ltd., could not be reached for comment forthis story.

In a statement on the ballot sent to alumni,Bynoe outlines his belief that Harvard's chiefconcerns are financial.

"The key issues facing Harvard today revolvearound money," he wrote. "Maintaining anadmissions policy that is blind to a candidate'sability to pay, and strengthening institutionalfinancial integrity despite escalating financialaid, personnel and capital costs."

As head of Telemat, a sports marketing andproject management firm, Bynoe certainly hasadequate experience in addressing those concerns.

Bynoe oversaw the $250 million development ofnew Comiskey Park for the Chicago White Sox, andalso structured the deal to underwrite thefinancing for the stadium that will house the 1996Olympics in Atlanta, according to his ballotstatement.

He is also the former owner and managinggeneral partner of professional basketball'sDenver Nuggets franchise.

Bynoe is the only newly-chosen overseer withprior experience on the board.

He was elected in 1993 to a special two-yearterm to fill a vacancy created by Tutu'sresignation. In the interim, he served on theboard's Committee on Financial Policy.

"He's a bright guy, works well in groups," saysOverseer Stephen B. Kay '56, another member ofthat committee. "I think people on the overseersare uniformly happy that he was re-elected. I knowI was."

Bynoe intends to maintain his contribution toHarvard's finances.

"If Harvard cannot manage [its] financialchallenges, it will not be able to achieve itseducational mission," he wrote in the statement."As the decisions confronting the Universitybecome more complex, I am committed to helpingHarvard prosper, without sacrificing its traditionof diversity."

Bynoe earned his A.B. from Harvard in 1972. Hewent on to pursue a joint program with Harvard'sLaw School and Business School, and earned bothhis J.D. and MBA in 1976.

As an undergraduate, Bynoe helped recruitfaculty for Harvard's fledgling Department ofAfro-American Studies.

Today, he is director of the Michael JordanFoundation and has been involved in urbanrevitalization projects in Boston and Chicago,according to his ballot statement.

Technology and Education

Sharon E. Gagnon, the president of theUniversity of Alaska's Board of Regents, says shewants to explore the ways in which technologicaladvances "mesh with education."

Gagnon says recent technological developmentshave given students the ability to acquire immenseamounts of information. She says she wants toensure that students are able to think and analyzeand "apply human values to all the informationthey're getting."

"There's a lot that needs to be done...so thatthe traditional values that we have concerninglearning are honored and that education takesplace for the students in view of all theinformation they're going to have at theirdisposal," she says.

Gagnon says she will also focus on the broadergoals of excellence, relevance, service andpermanence.

"I think I need to go to the meetings and seehow the overseers operate," she says.

Gagnon is the only new overseer who did notattend the college. But she has spent a number ofyears on campus, earning an A.M. (1965) and aPh.D. (1972) in Romance Languages at Harvard.

Gagnon received a bachelor's degree from theUniversity of Indiana and studied in France as aFulbright Scholar before attending graduate schoolat Harvard.

A French literature specialist, Gagnon was ateaching fellow in French language courses duringher Harvard years.

After graduate school, Gagnon taught "off andon" at the University of Alaska and VanderbiltUniversity. Ultimately, she rose to the presidencyof the University of Alaska's top governing body,a role in which she oversees 12 campuses and30,000 students.

Gagnon has also served as president of theHarvard Alumni Association and is a member of theBoard of Trustees for Russia's InternationalPedagogical University.

Gagnon's son, Elliott, graduated from theCollege earlier this month, and her daughter Anneearned a Harvard bachelor's degree in 1993.

A Commitment to Serve

John R. Harrison '55, from Iowa by way ofGeorgia, reflects his roots as a pleasant blend ofsouthern and midwestern folksiness.

Over a lunch of grilled chicken and vegetablesat Boston's private Somerset Club, the former NewYork Times vice president related the words hisson used when he learned of Harrison's election:"Congrats, oldie, I'm glad to hear you're goingback to college."

Indeed, Harrison appears in many ways to defythe stereotype of the selfish,bottom-line-obsessed business executive.

He shows this through his vision for Harvard,which involves an increased commitment to publicservice.

"I'd like to explore on the edges some moresocietal things, like studying how to benefitinner-city underprivileged kids," he says.

In particular, Harrison suggests that Harvard'sfaculty might conduct research on "what helpsthese kids."

"I would hope that Harvard, with terrificpeople like [Professor of Psychiatry and MedicalHumanities] Dr. Robert Coles ['50], would explorehow to answer that problem in America."

He also discusses the possibility of organizinga consortium of Boston universities--perhapsmodelled after similar groups in smaller towns--tocome together in their efforts to helpunderprivileged youths in the inner city.

Harrison has a long and impressive history inthis area.

He is director of Cities in Schools, a programto educate impoverished children in Georgia. Hesays he funds a scholarship for Atlanta studentswho get into Harvard but can't afford to go, andanother one for Black students.

And he used his position as publisher of dozensof newspapers to further awareness of socialproblems. In one eight-part series of editorialsin the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun, Harrison called fora minimum housing code in order to get urbanrenewal funds for low-cost minority housing. Theseries won him a Pulitzer Prize in 1965 andresulted in the construction of more than 8,000new housing units in the city after the code waspassed.

Harrison says his experience at Harvard led himto prioritize support of disadvantaged children.

While at the College, Harrison concentrated inEnglish and says he spent most of his timestudying.

"I was too serious. I was a bookworm," he says."If I had to do it over, I would have laughedmore, smiled more."

After graduating in 1955, Harrison moved acrossthe Charles River to attend Harvard BusinessSchool. But after a year, with some encouragementfrom his late father-in-law, a journalist,Harrison went to Florida as a printer.

Several years later, Harrison went to New Yorkand studied the annual reports of The New YorkTimes. He approached the management with a plan todiversify the corporation's holdings by purchasinga series of small newspapers. The company gaveHarrison the green light, and he wound up managingabout three dozen small papers in the South.

In 1972, he became a vice president, a positionhe held for 21 years.

Harrison's affiliation with Harvard is equallyimpressive.

He is a former director of the Harvard AlumniAssociation, as well as president of Georgia'sHarvard Club. He also serves on the Committee onUniversity Resources, the Boston Major GiftsCommittee and his 40th Reunion Class Committee.

He says he enjoys vacationing in hisKennebunkport, Maine vacation home with his wife,Mary ("Dr. Mary," he insists proudly. "She justgot her Ph.D."), as well as playing with theircats, Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'Harrison.

Asking Unusual Questions

Lisa M. Henson '82-'83, the president ofColumbia Pictures, could not be reached forcomment for this story.

But she discusses her ideas about Harvard in awritten statement for the ballot.

In general, Henson says she wants to use herperspective to explore the unconventional areas ofthe University.

"As an overseer," she wrote in her statement,"I hope to ask questions that aren't asked everyday, take an interest in areas of the Universitythat aren't interesting to everyone else, andperhaps bring a different kind of voice as a youngwoman in the entertainment industry."

More specifically, Henson says she wants tofurther arts at the University.

"Harvard can provide a unique entry intoartistic fields of work and study," wrote Henson,who was the leading vote-getter in the election."With a background in entertainment, I wouldstrive to encourage the arts at Harvard."

Henson herself appears to have taken advantageof the University's resources in this area.

At Harvard, Henson was the first femalepresident of The Lampoon, a semi-secret Bow St.social organization that occasionally publishes aso-called humor magazine.

As a sophomore, Henson took six months off tohelp her father, Jim Henson, make The MuppetMovie, according to Crimson accounts at the time.

In 1983, Henson received her A.B. summa cumlaude in Folklore and Mythology.

"I wish every undergraduate could have thefulfilling experience I had at Harvard, with anexciting academic major in a small department anda compelling extracurricular activity," she saidin her statement.

After graduation, Henson rose quickly in theentertainment world, serving as executive vicepresident of production for Warner BrothersStudios before becoming president of ColumbiaPictures.

Today, she participates on the OverseersVisiting Committee to the College and is describedas an "active supporter" of the Harvard AIDSInstitute on her ballot statement.Photo from Overseers Candidate BulletinLISA M. HENSON '82-'83

Problems of Internationalization

Dr. John C. Baldwin '71, the chair of thedepartment of Surgery at Baylor College ofMedicine, says during his tenure he will emphasizethe need to integrate international students morefully into the University.

He says the internationalization of Harvard mayhave resulted in isolated "pockets" of studentsand adds that this impedes the discussions andsharing of ideas that are among the most importantbenefits of a diverse population.

"That very essential part of undergraduatelife--that sort of free exchange--may beinfluenced by more international students," hesaid in a telephone interview. "Bringing people inand maintaining a cultural island is not what wewant."

Baldwin says recent visits to campus have givenhim the impression that the isolation ofinternational students is a problem.

"There may be some element of pockets ofstudents whose ideas and interests may not befully appreciated or experienced by otherstudents," he says. "I had the sense of more ofthat sort of separation of groups than I did whenI was an undergraduate."

Indeed, Baldwin points to the diverse array ofpeople he met as "the greatest benefit of my[experience]" at the University.

"Anything that diminishes that throughisolating groups of students I think is a loss tothe fabric of the College," he says.

Baldwin says he has taken advantage of allHarvard had to offer. In college, he was a memberof Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude inanthropology.

In his spare time, he participated in theCrimson Key Society ("I love history and I lovetelling people about Harvard," he says). He alsoserved on the Undergraduate Council and theFreshman Council, and participated in HarvardRadcliffe Combined Charities through the PhillipsBrooks House.

Baldwin attended Harvard during the late 1960s,a time when student demonstrations against theVietnam War rocked the University. He stronglydefends former president Nathan M. Pusey '28, whowas criticized by many students at the time forhis handling of campus protests.

After graduating in 1971, Baldwin studiedphysiology at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar beforeattending Stanford Medical School.

Before moving to Baylor, he served on thefaculties at Stanford and Yale.

Now, he spends about 60 percent of his time asa surgeon specializing in heart and lungtransplants. He spends the rest of his time inteaching, research and administration.

Baldwin has three sons: Alistair, a member ofthe class of '99; Benjamin, 17; and Andrew, 12.

Concerned About Finance

Peter C.B. Bynoe '72, the chair of Chicago'sTelemat Ltd., could not be reached for comment forthis story.

In a statement on the ballot sent to alumni,Bynoe outlines his belief that Harvard's chiefconcerns are financial.

"The key issues facing Harvard today revolvearound money," he wrote. "Maintaining anadmissions policy that is blind to a candidate'sability to pay, and strengthening institutionalfinancial integrity despite escalating financialaid, personnel and capital costs."

As head of Telemat, a sports marketing andproject management firm, Bynoe certainly hasadequate experience in addressing those concerns.

Bynoe oversaw the $250 million development ofnew Comiskey Park for the Chicago White Sox, andalso structured the deal to underwrite thefinancing for the stadium that will house the 1996Olympics in Atlanta, according to his ballotstatement.

He is also the former owner and managinggeneral partner of professional basketball'sDenver Nuggets franchise.

Bynoe is the only newly-chosen overseer withprior experience on the board.

He was elected in 1993 to a special two-yearterm to fill a vacancy created by Tutu'sresignation. In the interim, he served on theboard's Committee on Financial Policy.

"He's a bright guy, works well in groups," saysOverseer Stephen B. Kay '56, another member ofthat committee. "I think people on the overseersare uniformly happy that he was re-elected. I knowI was."

Bynoe intends to maintain his contribution toHarvard's finances.

"If Harvard cannot manage [its] financialchallenges, it will not be able to achieve itseducational mission," he wrote in the statement."As the decisions confronting the Universitybecome more complex, I am committed to helpingHarvard prosper, without sacrificing its traditionof diversity."

Bynoe earned his A.B. from Harvard in 1972. Hewent on to pursue a joint program with Harvard'sLaw School and Business School, and earned bothhis J.D. and MBA in 1976.

As an undergraduate, Bynoe helped recruitfaculty for Harvard's fledgling Department ofAfro-American Studies.

Today, he is director of the Michael JordanFoundation and has been involved in urbanrevitalization projects in Boston and Chicago,according to his ballot statement.

Technology and Education

Sharon E. Gagnon, the president of theUniversity of Alaska's Board of Regents, says shewants to explore the ways in which technologicaladvances "mesh with education."

Gagnon says recent technological developmentshave given students the ability to acquire immenseamounts of information. She says she wants toensure that students are able to think and analyzeand "apply human values to all the informationthey're getting."

"There's a lot that needs to be done...so thatthe traditional values that we have concerninglearning are honored and that education takesplace for the students in view of all theinformation they're going to have at theirdisposal," she says.

Gagnon says she will also focus on the broadergoals of excellence, relevance, service andpermanence.

"I think I need to go to the meetings and seehow the overseers operate," she says.

Gagnon is the only new overseer who did notattend the college. But she has spent a number ofyears on campus, earning an A.M. (1965) and aPh.D. (1972) in Romance Languages at Harvard.

Gagnon received a bachelor's degree from theUniversity of Indiana and studied in France as aFulbright Scholar before attending graduate schoolat Harvard.

A French literature specialist, Gagnon was ateaching fellow in French language courses duringher Harvard years.

After graduate school, Gagnon taught "off andon" at the University of Alaska and VanderbiltUniversity. Ultimately, she rose to the presidencyof the University of Alaska's top governing body,a role in which she oversees 12 campuses and30,000 students.

Gagnon has also served as president of theHarvard Alumni Association and is a member of theBoard of Trustees for Russia's InternationalPedagogical University.

Gagnon's son, Elliott, graduated from theCollege earlier this month, and her daughter Anneearned a Harvard bachelor's degree in 1993.

A Commitment to Serve

John R. Harrison '55, from Iowa by way ofGeorgia, reflects his roots as a pleasant blend ofsouthern and midwestern folksiness.

Over a lunch of grilled chicken and vegetablesat Boston's private Somerset Club, the former NewYork Times vice president related the words hisson used when he learned of Harrison's election:"Congrats, oldie, I'm glad to hear you're goingback to college."

Indeed, Harrison appears in many ways to defythe stereotype of the selfish,bottom-line-obsessed business executive.

He shows this through his vision for Harvard,which involves an increased commitment to publicservice.

"I'd like to explore on the edges some moresocietal things, like studying how to benefitinner-city underprivileged kids," he says.

In particular, Harrison suggests that Harvard'sfaculty might conduct research on "what helpsthese kids."

"I would hope that Harvard, with terrificpeople like [Professor of Psychiatry and MedicalHumanities] Dr. Robert Coles ['50], would explorehow to answer that problem in America."

He also discusses the possibility of organizinga consortium of Boston universities--perhapsmodelled after similar groups in smaller towns--tocome together in their efforts to helpunderprivileged youths in the inner city.

Harrison has a long and impressive history inthis area.

He is director of Cities in Schools, a programto educate impoverished children in Georgia. Hesays he funds a scholarship for Atlanta studentswho get into Harvard but can't afford to go, andanother one for Black students.

And he used his position as publisher of dozensof newspapers to further awareness of socialproblems. In one eight-part series of editorialsin the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun, Harrison called fora minimum housing code in order to get urbanrenewal funds for low-cost minority housing. Theseries won him a Pulitzer Prize in 1965 andresulted in the construction of more than 8,000new housing units in the city after the code waspassed.

Harrison says his experience at Harvard led himto prioritize support of disadvantaged children.

While at the College, Harrison concentrated inEnglish and says he spent most of his timestudying.

"I was too serious. I was a bookworm," he says."If I had to do it over, I would have laughedmore, smiled more."

After graduating in 1955, Harrison moved acrossthe Charles River to attend Harvard BusinessSchool. But after a year, with some encouragementfrom his late father-in-law, a journalist,Harrison went to Florida as a printer.

Several years later, Harrison went to New Yorkand studied the annual reports of The New YorkTimes. He approached the management with a plan todiversify the corporation's holdings by purchasinga series of small newspapers. The company gaveHarrison the green light, and he wound up managingabout three dozen small papers in the South.

In 1972, he became a vice president, a positionhe held for 21 years.

Harrison's affiliation with Harvard is equallyimpressive.

He is a former director of the Harvard AlumniAssociation, as well as president of Georgia'sHarvard Club. He also serves on the Committee onUniversity Resources, the Boston Major GiftsCommittee and his 40th Reunion Class Committee.

He says he enjoys vacationing in hisKennebunkport, Maine vacation home with his wife,Mary ("Dr. Mary," he insists proudly. "She justgot her Ph.D."), as well as playing with theircats, Rhett Butler and Scarlet O'Harrison.

Asking Unusual Questions

Lisa M. Henson '82-'83, the president ofColumbia Pictures, could not be reached forcomment for this story.

But she discusses her ideas about Harvard in awritten statement for the ballot.

In general, Henson says she wants to use herperspective to explore the unconventional areas ofthe University.

"As an overseer," she wrote in her statement,"I hope to ask questions that aren't asked everyday, take an interest in areas of the Universitythat aren't interesting to everyone else, andperhaps bring a different kind of voice as a youngwoman in the entertainment industry."

More specifically, Henson says she wants tofurther arts at the University.

"Harvard can provide a unique entry intoartistic fields of work and study," wrote Henson,who was the leading vote-getter in the election."With a background in entertainment, I wouldstrive to encourage the arts at Harvard."

Henson herself appears to have taken advantageof the University's resources in this area.

At Harvard, Henson was the first femalepresident of The Lampoon, a semi-secret Bow St.social organization that occasionally publishes aso-called humor magazine.

As a sophomore, Henson took six months off tohelp her father, Jim Henson, make The MuppetMovie, according to Crimson accounts at the time.

In 1983, Henson received her A.B. summa cumlaude in Folklore and Mythology.

"I wish every undergraduate could have thefulfilling experience I had at Harvard, with anexciting academic major in a small department anda compelling extracurricular activity," she saidin her statement.

After graduation, Henson rose quickly in theentertainment world, serving as executive vicepresident of production for Warner BrothersStudios before becoming president of ColumbiaPictures.

Today, she participates on the OverseersVisiting Committee to the College and is describedas an "active supporter" of the Harvard AIDSInstitute on her ballot statement.Photo from Overseers Candidate BulletinLISA M. HENSON '82-'83