Coles Receives New Title

Dr. Robert Coles '50, teacher of the College's second largest course, was given a named professorship yesterday in recognition for his community service.

Coles, who teaches General Education 105, "The Literature of Social Reflection," was appointed the James Agee Professor of Social Ethics in the Graduate School of Education.

Although Coles retains his title as professor of psychiatry and medical humanities at the Medical School, he said his primary focus will now be at the School of Education.

"[This] is an honoring of a man who has shown great commitment to the community," said Jerome T. Murphy, dean of the Graduate School of Education. "He's wonderful combination of a scholar and a teacher who is deeply connected to the issues in the real world."

Coles has been a member of the Harvard faculty on and off for over four decades. He says his major commitment has always been to the undergraduates, but he has also taught at the Medical School, Kennedy School and Law School.

"I've actually only been teaching relatively full-time at Harvard since the late 1970s," Coles said.

Due to his training in child psychiatry and pediatrics, and early experience, Coles has focused his attention on children.

He received his medical degree in 1954 from Columbia University, and a few years later, served in the Air Force in the South, where he saw school desegregation firsthand.

"School desegregation--that began a whole career [based on] children and how they grow up," Coles said.

"I've basically spent years working in different parts of the country and other countries and see how children grow up and deal with [various] social, economic, and political circumstances," Coles said.

Coles has taken his interest in child development to the community in work through Phillips Brooks House (PBH), with which he has been affiliated since his undergraduate years at Harvard. He is now a member of its association committee advisory board.

For the past three summers, Coles has helped undergraduates run PBH academic youth camps for families in the community.

This past summer, Coles led reflection sections in which community youth would discuss books they had read, said Vincent Pan '95-'96, president of PBH Association. The seminars were funded by a $25,000 grant from President Rudenstine.

Coles said this type of community work was an essential aspect of what he wants to encourage with his new title.

"He really practices a lot of what he preaches," Pan said.

Besides his teaching and PBH work, Coles also writes books focusing on children. In 1973, he received a Pulitzer Prize for two volumes of his novel, Children of Crisis.

For the past several years, Coles has been researching how children in elementary school perceive "goodness."

"I'm interested in the ideas that children have about goodness," he said. "How would they define a good person?"

He said he hopes eventually to write a book detailing the results of the project.

"I think he's a great lecturer," said Lisa D. Graustein '97, a student enrolled in Coles' class. "I also think he's a great proponent of social service.

"I've actually only been teaching relatively full-time at Harvard since the late 1970s," Coles said.

Due to his training in child psychiatry and pediatrics, and early experience, Coles has focused his attention on children.

He received his medical degree in 1954 from Columbia University, and a few years later, served in the Air Force in the South, where he saw school desegregation firsthand.

"School desegregation--that began a whole career [based on] children and how they grow up," Coles said.

"I've basically spent years working in different parts of the country and other countries and see how children grow up and deal with [various] social, economic, and political circumstances," Coles said.

Coles has taken his interest in child development to the community in work through Phillips Brooks House (PBH), with which he has been affiliated since his undergraduate years at Harvard. He is now a member of its association committee advisory board.

For the past three summers, Coles has helped undergraduates run PBH academic youth camps for families in the community.

This past summer, Coles led reflection sections in which community youth would discuss books they had read, said Vincent Pan '95-'96, president of PBH Association. The seminars were funded by a $25,000 grant from President Rudenstine.

Coles said this type of community work was an essential aspect of what he wants to encourage with his new title.

"He really practices a lot of what he preaches," Pan said.

Besides his teaching and PBH work, Coles also writes books focusing on children. In 1973, he received a Pulitzer Prize for two volumes of his novel, Children of Crisis.

For the past several years, Coles has been researching how children in elementary school perceive "goodness."

"I'm interested in the ideas that children have about goodness," he said. "How would they define a good person?"

He said he hopes eventually to write a book detailing the results of the project.

"I think he's a great lecturer," said Lisa D. Graustein '97, a student enrolled in Coles' class. "I also think he's a great proponent of social service.