A Fond Farewell To Dean Jewett

This year will be a milestone in the history of Harvard College. On July 1, the College loses one of its most influential and longest-standing figures: Dean of the college L. Fred Jewett '57 will serve his last day as our dean. In his 31 year tenure at the College, Jewett worked tirelessly to craft the policies that have shaped and sustained the type of community that Harvard College is today. It is largely to him the students and staff today owe their gratitude. We will miss you, Dean Jewett.

Lester Fred Jewett graduated from the College in 1957 magna cum laude in government. He was admitted to the Harvard Business School, where he graduate with an MBA in 1960. In 1964, Jewett was hired by then-Dean of Admissions Fred L. Glimp '50 as an assistant director, and has since devoted his life to the College. Indeed, over the past three decades, Jewett's life and the course of the College have proceeded intertwined, each complementing and energizing the other.

As Dean of Admission, Jewett implemented a need-blind admissions policy. In the 1960s and '70s, when states began to pour money into low-interest loans and grants, Jewett helped make Harvard one of the first colleges to admit applicants completely without regard to financial need. Even in today's environment, when more and more universities are cutting back on educational funding, Harvard remains firmly committed to need-blind admissions.

With the abiding concern for students that would characterize his every contribution to the College, Jewett ensured a policy that would guarantee talented students the opportunity to study at Harvard, no matter what their economic backgrounds. This policy is a cornerstone of the type of community we continually strive to achieve. Jewett has been one of its chief architects.

Also in his capacity as Dean of Admissions, Jewett presided over the merger of Harvard and Redcliffe Colleges and widened the circle of recruitment at the admission office. The past 30 years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of students from far away states and foreign countries, and from different ethnic and religious groups, socio-economic backgrounds and an ever-increasing range of activities and interests.

Under Jewett's direction, the admissions office became the idea for emulation and envy by other college. Jewett ensured a generation of remarkable graduates of this College. Even after his advancement to Dean of the College, Jewett continued--and will continue in his retirement--to serve on the Admission Committee.

As one of the longest-serving Deans of the College, Jewett invested heavily in laying the future physical, fiscal and social strength of the College. The massive renovations of the Yard buildings were undertaken under his direction. He refined the procedures and policies of the Administrative Board to improve consistency and efficient use of members' time.

Perhaps the single issue that ran through his tenure as Dean was a careful and insightful review of the house system conducted on his direction, which took the house system on a route to what Jewett perceived to be a fairer and more diverse College community.

Most of all, Dean Jewett has set a personal example for everyone with whom he has dealt. His door remained open to all students' and staff members' concerns; he treated the College's fiscal resources like his own and was known for his careful and knowledgeable stewardship of College funds; and the continually made loyal friends from all walks of life, embracing his abiding belief in and encouragement of strength in a diverse community.

Dean Jewett's sense of personal fairness and good counsel, his complete devotion and hard work, his unassuming and affable demeanor and his intelligence and insight--described by an old schoolmate of his as that of a "genius"--have inspired and guided an entire era of Harvard College students and faculty.

When the dean begins the next phase of his life, Harvard College will suffer a tremendous loss. There are few words we can say to thank our quintessential "Mr. Harvard" for his lifelong devotion to the betterment of a community that shapes each one of us; the best we can do is to leave this place hoping to have learned something of the values and ethic he embodies, and to act in the world as he does: selflessly, passionately, wisely.