HGSE Remembers John Hobbs

John Hobbs, a longtime supporter of education and the Ed School died on Sunday, January 3. A member of HGSE's Dean's Council, a former member of the Visiting Committee, and cochair of the last capital campaign, Hobbs, with his late wife Elisabeth, dedicated more than 20 years of service to the Harvard Graduate School of Education. "With the passing of John Hobbs, I have lost a mentor and HGSE has lost one of its dearest friends. We are grateful for the legacy that John, and his late wife, Liz, have left through their philanthropy," commented Dean Kathleen McCartney. "I especially appreciate their dedication to fellowship support of our talented students. There is much I will miss -- John's wise counsel on strategy, his appreciation for the role of education in transforming lives, and especially his laugh."

In the following article -- originally run in the summer 2006 issue of Ed. magazine -- the Hobbses' dedication to both education and the Ed School is clear:

Supporting the Education of Educators

by Elizabeth Gehrman

Elisabeth and John Hobbs know the value of a good public education system. But they acknowledge that things have changed since the 1940s and '50s, when they attended public schools--she in Winnetka, Illinois, and he in Newton, Massachusetts.

"There is a consensus in this country that improving public education is necessary for successfully meeting the challenges of the 21st century," says John Hobbs (Harvard '60, HBS '65). Efforts to address it are underway at all levels of government, and many philanthropists are making large contributions to the effort, Hobbs added, "but it is essential the leading graduate schools of education, like HGSE, gather more resources to make a greater contribution to this complex issue."

Both Hobbses have long focused their volunteer efforts on education and cochaired the school's last capital campaign, which far exceeded its goal. "I've been saying for years," says Liz Hobbs, Ed.M.'61, "that I think the Ed School is the absolute gem of the University. It doesn't get appropriate recognition for what an extraordinary school it is. It's got outstanding students, an outstanding faculty, and outstanding programs. It's not just a place that is putting teachers into classrooms. It's so much broader, when you consider the Urban Superintendents Program, the professional-development programs, and so many others. It also plays an important role in educational research and in the development and articulation of educational philosophies."

The Hobbses have supported the school in their role as volunteers as well as financially, with cumulative gifts in excess of $5 million. Their most recent gift of $600,000 to the Ed School benefited from the University's relatively new cross-credit program that permits alumni of the business school, the law school, and Harvard College who wish to give $100,000 or more to apply the money to one of the public service schools while still counting the gift toward the annual drive of their graduating class.

"It's awfully hard for people not to want to give to their class," John Hobbs says. "But these schools--the Divinity School, the School of Public Health, and, of course, HGSE--also need more resources. This program makes it easier for people in the Harvard community to provide support to these very important schools, without having to choose not to support their class."

More than 80 percent of the Hobbs' most recent gift went to support fellowships for HGSE students. "Most graduate students finance much of their education with loans," John says, "but a teacher or principal has a much tougher time repaying those loans than a lawyer or businessperson would. We need to make it more possible for exceptional prospects to attend HGSE by alleviating the massive hurdle they face if they have to finance their own graduate education."

This gift is a significant contribution toward the Ed School's broader efforts to increase financial aid and fellowship opportunities for students. Education is a field where value to society is not reflected in income, so it is important for HGSE to establish prestigious fellowships and abundant financial aid opportunities in order to enroll the highest caliber students--students who, as Hobbs says, might otherwise opt for business, law, or medical school. "For the past two decades, John and Liz Hobbs have been pacesetters for HGSE, enabling the school to tackle its most important priorities," says William McKersie, associate dean for development and alumni relations. "Their unrestricted support for fellowships, which will be known as Hobbs Fellowships, will boost our strategic move to attract the best talent to the profession of education."

The remaining $100,000 of the Hobbs' gift supports the research of Hobbs Professor Howard Gardner, who is the first to hold the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Chair of Education and Cognition.

"I'm honored to be the first occupant of the chair the Hobbses endowed," Gardner says. "Even when times are difficult at HGSE, the Hobbses are always coming to visit, keeping in touch, attending functions. They have an extremely caring attitude toward the school and have done a great deal to connect the Ed School with other parts of the University." Given the small size and meager endowment of HGSE and the knowledge and talent that other faculties at Harvard can provide, such linkages are crucial.

For almost 40 years, Gardner has been associated with the HGSE-based research group Project Zero, which endeavors to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, humanities, and sciences at both individual and institutional levels. He is also the cofounder of the GoodWork Project, which examines how professionals carry out work that is not only of high quality but is socially responsible. The Hobbses' most recent contribution "will help us look at GoodWork beyond the United States," says Gardner, noting that research has begun in Scandinavia and the United Kingdom. It will also allow Gardner to continue working on the GoodWork Toolkit, which encourages secondary-school students to think about the consequences of their work for others.

Finally, the gift will expand the role of "trust, trustworthiness, and trustees" in the promotion of GoodWork. Trustees, Gardner explains, are people who are well-known, widely respected, and nonpartisan. "The Hobbses," he adds, "are trustees in that sense."