HLS Dean Scott Nichols To Resign After 20 Years

Associate Dean of Development Scott Nichols announced his resignation last Wednesday after over 20 years as the chief fundraiser at Harvard Law School (HLS). He will take over a similar position, as vice president for development, at Boston University in May.

Michael A. Armini, HLS director of communications, said that this “was a tremendous opportunity” for Nichols.

“While his current position is a significant one, the chance to be a vice president at the fourth largest private university in the country is something I know he can’t pass up,” said Armini. “After 20 years at the same institution, it’s not surprising that he’s being recruited to try something new.”

During his time at Harvard, Nichols presided over the two largest fundraising campaigns in the history of legal education. The first, conducted from 1991 to 1995, raised $183 million, surpassing the school’s $150 million goal. The second was kicked off in June 2003 and is still ongoing. It has raised about $275 million toward a goal of $400 million, and is scheduled to end in June 2008.

Nichols said that his principal accomplishments during his time at HLS were the renovation of Langdell Hall, the school’s primary library, and the creation of 37 endowed professorships. There are currently 83 endowed professorships at HLS.

In addition to overseeing fundraising, Nichols’ other principal responsibility was being a liaison to the school’s alumni.

“[Nichols] made soliciting a contribution, normally a distasteful job, a pleasant task,” Finn M. W. Caspersen, a Class of 1966 alumnus who served on the executive committee of the Law School’s first capital campaign and is chairing the current one, said in a statement.

Caspersen said that Nichols presided over the “revitalization of alumni participation in the Law School,” and that “history will remember this as his most important achievement.”

Nichols said that his work with alumni was a highlight of his time at HLS.

“I am particularly proud of the way we’ve re-engaged the alumni, making them active partners in the life of the Law School,” he said.

Law School Dean Elena Kagan credited Nichols with “rais[ing] more funds than any single person in legal education,” and said that his work has allowed the Law School to carry out many of its recent initiatives, such as increasing financial aid and funding faculty research initiatives.

“He leaves the Law School in terrific shape, and the positive impact of his work will be felt for many years to come,” Kagan said.