Susan Livingston Remembered for Love of Students

After the sudden death of Susan Livingston—the longtime Cabot House administrator—earlier this week, students and colleagues say she will be remembered for a passion for theater, a gift for connecting with students, and dedication to the House.

Livingston, who was serving her 28th year as Cabot House administrator, died in an electrical fire in her apartment Tuesday. She was 64.

As House administrator, Livingston was responsible for coordinating House events, assigning student dorm rooms, and booking House spaces. But many members of the House community said that Livingston went beyond her duties to make students and affiliates feel welcome in the House.

“She really was kind of a pillar of Cabot House,” said Dustin M. Saldarriaga ’06, a former undergraduate in the House and a current resident tutor. “She really did embody what it meant to be a part of the House.”

A fan of theater, Livingston brought her love for drama to the House by starting the annual Cabot House Musical 19 years ago. Bringing together House residents and affiliates who did not always have theatrical backgrounds, Livingston, who directed and produced the musical each spring, cultivated their talents and put together a production within a matter of months.

Saldarriaga said he had only dabbled in theatre before college and had no intention of performing at Harvard until Livingston encouraged him to audition for a Cabot show.

“She brought it out of me,” said Saldarriaga, who has performed in every musical since moving to Cabot House as a sophomore in 2003. “Somehow, even though she was working with a lot of amateurs every year, she was able to put together something that you could enjoy.”

Livingston even made sure to include the House Masters in cameo roles.

Former Cabot House Master Jay M. Harris, who made his Cabot House musical debut as a Cuban waiter in “Guys and Dolls” seven years ago, said he remembered the professionalism with which Livingston directed the show, making sure that actors stayed after the final curtain call to help strike the set.

Livingston, who had a knack for convincing first time actors onto the stage, also knew how to bring out the best in her students.

Lacking theater experience, Richard R. Johnston, Cabot’s sophomore advising coordinator and fourth-year tutor, performed in the musical for the first time last year. He recalled watching Livingston interact with students during a rehearsal.

“As things were coming together, she would start glowing, and students would get excited by the positive feedback,” Johnston said.

“The musical showed how much she believed in the students,” said Saldarriaga. “The reason the musical turned out to be a good experience for us was that students that had oftentimes not been involved otherwise...were able to be a part of a production.”

Livingston also put on smaller performances where students could showcase juggling acts or their skill with the violin. Every December, she organized “Festivus,” a secular celebration inspired by the television show “Seinfeld.”

“She was the first one to be aware that there was so much talent in the House,” Saldarriaga said. “She was genuinely interested in students’ lives outside of class...she committed herself to bringing that out and showcasing that.”

Livingston was known to warmly welcome students into her office, sharing hot mulled cider and doughnuts with visitors every Thursday or by inviting students to borrow films from the House DVD library that she started and enthusiastically maintained.

At a place where students quickly come and go, Livingston was a source of continuity for students return, said Cabot House Resident Dean Jill Constantino. “She’s formed the community by being the strand that’s been there when people come and go.”

“She could talk about individual students going back 20 years—what rooms they lived in, what their favorite foods were,” said Cabot House Master Rakesh Khurana, adding that Livingston “just had an encyclopedic knowledge” about the House.

Members of the House community congregated Thursday night for a private gathering in her memory. Cabot residents also collected cards expressing condolences for Livingston’s daughter Vanessa. The House has plans for a formal memorial.

“She's got such a big personality, and she's so full of life,” Constantino said. “There's this energy and excitement, and with her gone...that life that she filled the room with? We'll really feel it.”

“Cabot is not going to be the same,” Saldarriaga said.

Massachusetts and Somerville police and fire officials are still investigating the fire which occurred in Livingston’s home.

—Staff writer Xi Yu can be reached at xyu@college.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Julie M. Zauzmer can be reached at jzauzmer@college.harvard.edu.