Harvard History | February 10, 2017

Harvard Magazine puzzle master retires

A longtime contributor hangs up his pencil.

From The March-April 2017 Issue

John de Cuevas

Long-time Harvard Magazine crossword-puzzle master John de Cuevas ’52 has hung up his pencil, explaining, “I turned 86 last October and in the last few years have experienced a slackening of mental and physical powers.” He continues to create puzzles for his website, “but the extra ones I was doing for Harvard are more than I can manage now.” We thank him for bringing pleasure to puzzle-doers for decades. His full notice appears at harvardmag.com/decuevas-17—complete with a reproduction of his devilish creation for the University’s 350th anniversary, from the September-October 1986 issue.

~ The Editors

Published in the March-April 2017 print issue under the headline “86 Across,” in the Letters section.

You might also like

A group of choir singers performs in a cathedral

The Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum reunites for a 50th anniversary tour around France.

A man in a suit waves while smiling, with greenery in the background.

He was Harvard’s quintessential people person.

Soccer player and goalkeeper Matt Freese standing in front of the net

The former economics concentrator brings his talent for crunching numbers to netminding.

Most popular

A woman with a black sweater and patterned scarf stands under an archway.

Tomiko Brown-Nagin has been named dean of Stanford’s Graduate School of Education.

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

In her memoir All That's Unseen, Emilee Hackney explores religion, friendship, and home.

Photo of Bloody Sunday during voting rights march, Selma, Alabama

Both Sides Now

Tomiko Brown-Nagin’s bifocal view of the civil-rights movement

Explore More From Current Issue

Two colorful octopuses swim among vibrant coral and sea life in a lively underwater scene.

Research

New Harvard research finds octopuses go beyond sight and touch to find mates.

Colorful abstract design resembling an octopus with intricate swirls and patterns.

Research

Growing liver implants, mapping the sense of smell, and journalism at risk

Star-filled night sky with the Milky Way arching over a rocky silhouette.

Science

There’s a growing movement to curb light pollution. It starts on your front porch.