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

Derek Bok donated his car for a good cause.

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

In a sea of red brick, the Science Center and Peabody Terrace make their mark.

Most popular

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

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

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

Explore More From Current Issue

Portrait of a man in a denim shirt beside a blue book cover for "Gretal and the Great War" featuring an illustration of a leg holding an army helmet..

The Gretel and the Great War author on how the Lampoon derailed his science career—and set him on a literary path.

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. 

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.