The Overexposed Dean

HE IS THE first Harvard dean you ever heard of. He signed your letter of acceptance, and even if you never met him, you and all your classmates knew his name.

Now L. Fred Jewett is seeing to it that every Harvard student knows his face as well. In fact, you can't go anywhere without seeing the new dean of Harvard College.

You see him in the Yard. You see him at the Quad. You see him down by Mather. You see him on the shuttle bus riding home. You see him at weekly house committee meetings. You see him at lunch in North House. You see him at your junior dinner. You see him at Currier House helping to decide who your new masters will be.

You even see him at grand openings of $27 million renovation projects to aging, decrepit Radcliffe buildings.

Seeing Jewett around campus is becoming old hat. And why not. What good host wouldn't make sure you were happy? When he was dean of admissions, Jewett invited us all here for a four-year party. Like a good host, he is making the rounds to see that we are having a good time--refilling our drinks (when we are of age) and making sure there are enough peanuts to much on.

"I get to try to make Harvard the place we [at the admissions office] say it is to incoming freshmen," Jewett said upon being transferred from Byerly Hall to University Hall.

JEWETT'S PARTY is a welcome contrast to the less exposed tenures of previous deans. While John Fox never turned down an invitation to speak anywhere, his critics complained that he was unreceptive. Fox was perhaps one of the last administrators any student got to know, and his face was often unfamiliar.

Fox was around with his share of new drinks and fresh potato chips. He was there whenever he was invited. When Mather was overcrowded, he was there. When renovations started at the Quad, he was there. He was even at some home hockey games.

But one usually had to search long and hard for him. Often he would be found hiding in his office, doing administrative or fundraising work. Only late in his 10-year term did he hold open office hours.

Some students said they found it hard to reach the dean--and not just because of his 6-foot, 9-inch frame. Administrators are supposed to have a greater concern for the institution, which is here forever, than for students, who are only here for four years. But Fox drew that line too solidly.

"His answer is non-answers," was one comment leveled at Fox. "A typical Harvard bureaucrat;" "he hides behind other student-faculty groups and other deans;" "seen as very distant," were other student voices heard when Fox stepped down.

Jewett has been to almost all of the home hockey games. He has even been to a few road games. He has been at the Quad, calming renovations concerns five times in the last two weeks.

Still, there are some drinks left to be refilled. Jewett must face future crowding in the houses, a scandal-ridden freshman prefect system, the enforcement and fallout from a new alcohol policy, and the oh-too-complicated shuttle bus system. These are all problems that will take more than an ever-present smiling countenance and a cool, soft-spoken demeanor to solve.

But if his track record so far can prove anything, Jewett will continue to be the most gracious of hosts. Let's just hope that at the end of the four-year party, none of us will drive home drunk.