Ernest May: Former College Dean Dies at 80
Ernest R. May, a genial professor who led Harvard College with collectedness and a sense of diplomacy and stood at the forefront of the study of U.S. foreign relations over his 55 years at Harvard, died Monday from complications following surgery. He was 80.
May left his mark on the University, filling a wide array of roles, including dean of the College, associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and director of the Institute of Politics.
“There are a small number of people at Harvard who really step up through genuine belief in the institution and the people in it, and Ernest May was one of them,” said Kennedy School Dean David T. Ellwood.
As dean of the College from 1969 to 1971, May shepherded the College through tumultuous times that included a reexamination of undergraduate education and the 1969 occupation of University Hall, in which about 100 members of Students for a Democratic Society trapped May in his office while advocating for changes to the University’s labor policy.
A diplomatic leader, May spoke with the students for over an hour before attempting to leave.
“He performed nobly,” said former Harvard professor James Q. Wilson, the chair of the Committee on Rights and Responsibilities, which dealt with the disciplinary action stemming from the situation. “He didn’t yield to excessive student demands, but he was perfectly willing to talk to them.”
As both a professor and an administrator, May was calm and thoughtful, yet genial in his interactions with others.
“He would rarely say 10 words when he could make his point in eight,” Zelikow said. ...
Read entire article at Harvard Crimson
May left his mark on the University, filling a wide array of roles, including dean of the College, associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and director of the Institute of Politics.
“There are a small number of people at Harvard who really step up through genuine belief in the institution and the people in it, and Ernest May was one of them,” said Kennedy School Dean David T. Ellwood.
As dean of the College from 1969 to 1971, May shepherded the College through tumultuous times that included a reexamination of undergraduate education and the 1969 occupation of University Hall, in which about 100 members of Students for a Democratic Society trapped May in his office while advocating for changes to the University’s labor policy.
A diplomatic leader, May spoke with the students for over an hour before attempting to leave.
“He performed nobly,” said former Harvard professor James Q. Wilson, the chair of the Committee on Rights and Responsibilities, which dealt with the disciplinary action stemming from the situation. “He didn’t yield to excessive student demands, but he was perfectly willing to talk to them.”
As both a professor and an administrator, May was calm and thoughtful, yet genial in his interactions with others.
“He would rarely say 10 words when he could make his point in eight,” Zelikow said. ...
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