"Why did you drop out?"

Hear three Sixties types explain why they dropped out of Harvard.

Harvard Magazine recently caught up with three members of the class of 1969 who never graduated. Joanne Ricca, Bernard Levine, and Jennifer Boyden are featured in the accompanying article, "Dropouts," by Craig Lambert. In this audio extra, we present the subjects in their own words.

 

Joanne Ricca

Joanne Ricca in the 1960s

Joanne Ricca, shown in her hippie days at left, is now a nurse practitioner living in rural Maine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bernard Levine

Bernard Levine in the 1960s

Bernard Levine (a few years after dropping out of Harvard, at left) lives in Oregon and has written several definitive guides to collectible knives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Boyden

Jennifer Boyden (left, during her Radcliffe years) is now a retired schoolteacher and a grandmother living in New Hampshire and Alabama. 

 

Related topics

You might also like

How to Cook with Wild Plants

From wild greens spanakopita to rose petal panna cotta, forager and chef Ellen Zachos makes one-of-a-kind meals.

A Harvard Astrophysicist Explains the Bizarre Behavior of a Supergiant Star

The dimming and rapid rotation of Betelgeuse may be caused by a hidden companion.

For This Poet, AI is a Writing Partner

Sasha Stiles trained a chatbot on her manuscripts. Now, her poems rewrite themselves.

Most popular

Martin Nowak Placed on Leave a Second Time

Further links to Jeffrey Epstein surface in newly released files.

At Harvard, Mitt Romney Warns Against ‘Authoritarian’ Presidential Power

The former senator touched on polarization, tech governance, and diplomacy during a conversation at the Institute of Politics.

Wage stagnation: economists look to new explanations

Economists look to new explanations for wage stagnation.

Explore More From Current Issue

Katie Benzan stands on a basketball court holding a ball, with a hoop in the background.

How Women Are Changing the NBA

From coaching staffs to front offices, female leaders are bringing new strategies to men’s basketball.

Brick archway with a sandy base, surrounded by wooden planks and boxes in a dim space.

How the American Revolution Freed a Future Abolitionist

Darby Vassall, an enslaved child freed after the Battle of Bunker Hill, dedicated his life to fighting for liberty.

A colorful hummingbird hovering by vibrant flowers.

Discoveries

Short takes on cutting-edge research