The Axe Man

Steve Hall once said that his role at Harvard was something like a football coach's. "Let me put it this way," he said. "If everything is all right, you don't need a football coach, but if things don't go exactly right, the coach steps in."

It was the summer of 1974, and Hall was shifting around one of the players on his team, C. Graham Hurlburt, director of Food Services, because "his batteries got run down."

Hurlburt was not so much fired as he was kicked upstairs--Hall discreetly created a new administrative post for him. "I don't know if the position will be effective," he explained, "but it sounds logical."

Steve Hall's flow chart shows ten department heads directly under his supervision, and during his five years at Harvard there has been a lot of shuffling around and a lot of putting out to pasture. Charles Coulson, the manager of the Faculty Club, is still here, and so is the director of the Real Estate Office--but six of the directors Hall found here when he came are gone.

Mark Carroll, director of the University Press, was fired early in 1972. The Press was losing money. Hall expressed support for the publishing of worthy, but economically unsound books, but added, "a financially risky book would jeopardize our ability to publish other books."

William Murphy, director of Buildings and Grounds, resigned in September 1973, because he couldn't or wouldn't adjust to Hall's reorganization.

Robert Tonis, chief of University Police, was due to reture last June, but Hall found his successor unexpectedly early, and Tonis was out on the streets in January.

John Butler used to be director of Personnel. Now he is director of Personnel Planning, a different kettle of fish altogether. Hall explained the transfer this way: "John is a competent professional who was in the job so darn long that he just got crowded in by all the trees. We said, Hey John, you deserve and have earned the right to step aside and catch your breath a bit. Let us take over some of the things you've been handling, and when you're ready, why, you can come back."

Right now, Hall is trying to find a replacement for Paul Rouillard, who replaced Murphy at B&G. "His personal approach has not caught the imagination and fancy of the Faculty," Hall said.

Hall has been accused of being undiplomatic, and worse, in his handling of personnel, but he takes it in stride. "Hey," he says. "I just appreciate the fact that if you try to please everybody you'll end up in a strait jacket and get carted off somewhere."