1970

Our class lost one of its most talented members with the passing of Stephen Harvard on July 23, 1988. Stephen's body was found in the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire after an extensive search involving 125 volunteers, many of them members of the Dartmouth community. He had set out a week earlier for what was to have been a brief hike near his home in Lancaster, N.H.

Stephen was raised in Hamden, Conn., and attended the Hopkins Grammar School. He chose Dartmouth in large part for the opportunity to study under the late professor of art, Ray Nash. Stephen quickly became Nash's gifted protege on account of the broad scope of his talents in the graphic arts. As a student he was not only a scholar, but also an accomplished printer, painter, calligrapher, illustrator, stone carver, and draughtsman. He designed and produced a substantial number of the posters and broadsides used around campus during our undergraduate years. His designs were notable for pushing the technical capacity or Ray Nash's graphic arts workshop to an unusually high level.

Stephen spent much of his junior year studying the history of print at the Planfln-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, Belgium. He was one of 17 members of our class selected for independent study as a senior fellow. He was a member of Foley House, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in philosophy. .

Former assistant director of the Hopkins Center John R. Scotford '38 has written that Stephen's "design talents were only exceeded by the very high standards he set for himself, not only in his chosen field but in the way he conducted his life. He typified the kind of student for whom the Hopkins Center was built. He took full advantage of the facilities and programs to stretch his talents to the utmost, and thereby later made significant contributions to his profession."

On a personal level, Stephen was observed to be quiet and self-contained. Our classmate Stephen McKeown recalls that "To those whom he accepted as friends and equals, he was very loyal, ready with a smile, to pitch in, to listen, to help, to be there in time of pain or confusion. What he demanded of others he gave in return." He further describes the remarkable range of Stephen's interests. These included collecting (and often restoring) antique tools, prints, posters, samplers, lace, quilts, and children's books. He loved exploring New England graveyards and old cellar holes, the blues, Irish folk tunes, and contradancing. He was also an amateur botanist, biologist, and ornithologist.

At the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Newport, R.I., Stephen performed alternate service as a conscientious objector during 1971-72. Shortly thereafter he joined The Stinehour Press, an association which continued until his death. He became corporate vice president in 1983.

The extent of Stephen's published works can only be highlighted here. In 1974 his completed research in Belgium resulted in the production of a magnificant book, Ornamental Initials: The Woodcut Initials ofChristopher Plantin. His rollicking drawings of farm escapades illustrate Noel Perrin's very popular First Person Rural (1978). His hand-lettered titles grace Ansel Adams's Yosemite and the Range of Light (1979). A typeface he designed for text composition is due to be completed and issued by Adobe Systems.

Baker Library will mount an exhibit of Stephen's early works from April 1-May 26, and Harvard University will present his later works in the fall.

Stephen's life was indeed rich and varied, filled with discovery and creation. He leaves his wife, Paula, whom he met at the Hopkins Center where she was a design assistant. Paula remains in Lancaster, N.H., with their two teenage daughters, Shelagh and Kate. Also surviving are Stephen's parents, Dr. and Mrs. B. Marvin Harvard of Pine Mountain, Ga., and his brothers, Andrew '71, and Peter.

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