Harvard Magazine puzzle master retires

A longtime contributor hangs up his pencil.


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

Related topics

You might also like

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

Derek Bok donated his car for a good cause.

A theatrical reenactment explores a 1976 clash between science and democracy.

Most popular

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

Citing improper procedure, a district judge postponed the government’s efforts to cap student visas at four years.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

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

Explore More From Current Issue

Three young women posed side by side against red background.

The 2026-2027 Ledecky and Summer Undergraduate Fellows

Three actors perform on stage, with one actor interacting closely with another, set against abstract backgrounds.

The play Spare Parts is a contemporary fable about the quest to live forever.

Caricature of a young man in front of red doors, wearing a green striped sweater.

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.