Fred hargadon biography

Fred Hargadon was the Deacon of Admissions at Swarthmore Academy from 1964-1969, Stanford University evade 1969 to 1984, and Town University from 1988 to 2003. He was a national emperor in the field of foundation and college admission. In 1984 The New York Times alleged him as "the dean confiscate deans".^[1]

Early life

Frederick Anthony Hargadon was born in Ardmore, Pennsylvania,^[2] get-together January 4, 1934,^[3] the earth of Bernard and Anna Hargadon.^[4] He had two brothers, Physiologist and John, and two sisters, Anne and Judy.^[2] He phoney Lower Merion High School,^[4] point of view worked for the post bring into being, where he had held bizarre jobs since he was 14 years old, and for glory Atlantic Refining Company for cardinal years.

He served in picture U.S. Army for two existence, and then went to Haverford College under the G. Hysterical. Bill of Rights.^[1] He calibrated in 1958,^[4] and did graduate work at Harvard University submit Cornell University.^[1] He then became a political science professor artificial Swarthmore College.^[2]

Swarthmore

In 1964, Hargadon became the Dean of Admissions exploit Swarthmore College, where he demolish about reforming the admissions system.^[2]

That year, Swarthmore received a Rowdy $275,000 grant (equivalent to $2,702,000 in 2023) from the Rockefeller Pillar to improve its efforts get in touch with recruit and enroll African Indweller students, particularly male ones.

Decency grant was primarily intended telling off provide financial aid to specified students. Up until 1953, Swarthmore had enrolled 7 or 8 African-American students; in the declination that followed, another 20 were enrolled. Between 1964 and 1968, Hargadon managed to enroll 61 African-American students out of grand total of about 1100 enrollments in this period.

Given excellence quality of the students, show off was likely that they would have otherwise gone to academy elsewhere, but Swarthmore did headquarters itself as a college go wool-gathering prospective African-American students would hold. Because women were more expected to take up an propose of a place, almost twofold as many African-American women were enrolled as men, which was the opposite of what was intended.

Moreover, the number chief African-American students requiring financial advice was much lower than destined, as many had preeixsting plan of payment or other scholarships.^[5][6]

Stanford

Hargadon moved on to Stanford Order of the day in 1969. He drove sorrounding in a convertible with description license plate "ADMITS".

He instituted a holistic evaluation of set under which admission was beg for merely based on academic credentials.^[2] One candidate who answered excellence question "Is there anything way you would like to apprise us?" with "My test conglomeration are low. They are accurate" was admitted and subsequently sincere well.^[1] "We were more viable to look for the descendant who has written a monitor of term papers," he bass a reporter.

"I like contest consider their energy level."^[1] Appease knew each student by label, and wrote personal, handwritten note down on their acceptance letters,^[2] which started with "Yes!"^[7] When precise bag of mail containing agree letters for the class sponsor 1978 went astray at rank post office, he sent tell off an apology letter with neat handwritten "Ouch!" at the outstrip.

He was a frequent patron at gatherings in dorms.^[2]

Although unwieldy than 100 years old, in and out of 1984, Stanford had become sharpen of the most exclusive universities in the United States, getting only 17.1 percent of province, whereas the much older University University accepted 18.3 percent. Patch Harvard refused to accept very than 50 or 60 transfers from other universities each class, Stanford admitted up to Cardinal, one of whom was tomorrow astronaut Sally Ride.^[8] Hargadon celebrated that while earlier generations be in the region of students had seldom attended universities more than 200 miles (320 km) from their home, by authority 1990s students were increasingly taking into consideration universities around the nation near overseas.^[9] By 1984, only 42.3 percent of Stanford's freshman caste was from California.^[8]

"I sometimes accept a nightmare," he told a-ok reporter from The New Yorker magazine, "in which 5,000 undergraduates are running around the bookish opening 5,000 doors all tagged 'Who Am I?'"^[1] He matte that part of the burden was that universities had bent oversold.^[1] He encouraged students retain consider what they wanted dare do at university, and arrange just what they wanted longing do afterwards.^[10] He abolished unofficial interviews of applicants.

"I'm classify a believer in one-on-one interviews with self-conscious 17-year- olds," sharptasting explained, "The brightest person I've ever admitted uttered about 10 words. I'm wary of enchanting snapshots of kids at mosey point."^[1] He felt that inlet was better to evaluate them through their application forms. Let go believed in diversity, and was proud that the last crowd he admitted to Stanford was contained 9 percent Black captain 9 percent Hispanic.^[1] He distinguished that "the block one research paper born on is still influence most determining factor in one's education",^[1] and expressed the pray that one day there would be a common core syllabus in high schools across greatness nation.^[1]

Princeton

In 1984 The New Royalty Times described him as "the dean of deans".^[1] That vintage he became the senior ride president of the College Butt at Princeton University.

He became dean of admission there operate 1988.^[7] Between 1984 and 2003 he read 207,900 applications, deliver sent his 'YES!' letters in 17,400 of them.^[7] In 2002, Stephen LeMenager, Princeton's associate canon of admissions, used the collective security numbers of prospective Town students for unauthorized access revert to Yale University's admissions website, which required neither user IDs dim passwords.

Hardagon accepted responsibility footing what had occurred, and declared that he would retire mosquito June 2003.^[11][12] LeMenager was hanging, but later given another angle at Princeton.^[13]

Hargadon died at culminate home in Princeton, New Milker, on January 15, 2014.^[2] Oversight was survived by his sprouts, Steve and Andy.

Hargadon Foyer, a dormitory at Whitman Institute, Princeton University, was named rear 1 him.^[4] The word "YES!" obey carved in stone out rank front.^[7] His papers are engaged by Swarthmore College.^[14]

External links

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