Death of the Students' Dean

Archie C. Epps IIIJon Chase / Harvard News OfficeArchie C. Epps III, B.D. '61, Harvard College dean of students from 1971 to 1999, died August...

Archie C. Epps III
Jon Chase / Harvard News Office

Archie C. Epps III, B.D. '61, Harvard College dean of students from 1971 to 1999, died August 21 of complications from surgery. Often remembered from a photograph that showed him being ejected from University Hall during the 1969 takeover, tie crisply in place, Epps is better known by thousands of alumni for his role in cultivating student organizations, for his leadership on matters of race and diversity, and for his unhurried progresses across the Yard.

Harvard University Archives

Jeremy R. Knowles, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences from 1991 to 2002, recalled Epps as "wise but never heavy, helpful but never presumptuous, and principled but never rigid. Passionate about music, and fiercely supportive of the arts in the College, Harvard is a colder place without him." Speaking of his friend, Peter J. Gomes, Plummer professor of Christian morals and Pusey minister in the Memorial Church, said during the funeral service there on September 4, "More than anyone I have ever known in 33 years of service here, I believe that Archie actually believed every word of 'Fair Harvard.'"













     

Most popular

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Lafayette’s Unexpected Gift to George Washington: Pheasants

The two birds will be on display at Harvard this summer.

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.  

Explore More From Current Issue

A woman with long, wavy hair wearing a white suit, seated in a bright, modern room.

The Harvard graduate’s roundtable talk show touches on hot button issues from religion to sex. 

A smiling elderly man in glasses sits comfortably in a striped armchair.

Plus, veteran higher education leader Thomas Ehrlich reflects on university curricula for his 70th reunion

Three young women posed side by side against red background.

The 2026-2027 Ledecky and Summer Undergraduate Fellows