K-School Gets New Professorship

With a $1 million dollar donation, C. Douglas Dillon '31, whose family has played a central role in Harvard fundraising, last week established a Kennedy School professorship, Dean Graham T. Allison '62 recently said.

A search to fill the post has begun and "it is quite possible that it will be filled by someone from within the school," said K-School spokesman Steve Singer. He said he did not know from what area of government the K-School might pluck the professor.

Although Harvard professorships usually cost $1.5 million, Allison said he let the former Secretary of the Treasury and former President of the Harvard Board of Overseers establish the Douglas Dillon Professorship of Government for only $1 million in appreciation of his donations to the Kennedy School in its early days.

Allison said Dillon's previous donations to the school "well exceed the other $500,000."

This is the second full-time tenured professorship that bears Dillon's name. The Douglas Dillon Professorship of the Civilization of France was established by Dillon's father.

"Douglas Dillon is a giant. He is a person who, in his public and private life, is a standard-bearer and definer in society," Allison said Thursday.

"His commitment to excellence in all things--from the Kennedy tax cut to investment banking--has become a hallmark. This is a vote of confidence in the school," Allison said.

Dillon's family has a tradition of generous donations to the University. Dillon's father, Clarence "Baron" Dillon '05, was "one of the major donors to Harvard over the years," according to a University development official who asked not to be identified.

The Baron, as he was known, turned Dillon, Read & Co. from a struggling Wall Street company into one of nation's largest investment firms and retired with a personal fortune of nearly $1 billion.

The elder Dillon established two Kennedy School professorships in 1957, donated the Dillon Field House and gave the University great sums of money, the official said. The two posts he gave are the Douglas Dillon Professorship of the Civilization of France, held by Stanley Hoffman, and the Clarence Dillon Professorship of International Affairs, held by Joseph S. Nye.

Douglas Dillon has also been one of the Harvard community's most active participants in University management and governance.

Dillon served two separate terms on the Board of Overseers from 1952-58 and again from 1966-72. He was president of that governing board from 1968-72 and has served on more than a dozen visiting committees. Dillon is currently a member of Harvard's Committee on University Resources.

Dillon was secretary of the treasury during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations and served as the ambassador to France during the Eisenhower administration.