Remembering Christopher "Sandy" Jencks

The Harvard Graduate School of Education is mourning the loss of Christopher “Sandy” Jencks Ed.M.’59, a beloved educator, mentor, and scholar who died on February 8 at the age of 88.

A renowned thinker and sociologist, Jencks’ storied career spanned time both at the Ed School and Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and impacted the educational landscape in transformational ways, shifting opinions on complex issues such as homelessness, income inequality, and racial gaps.

Much of his academic gravity came from several foundational books, including Inequality: A Reassessment of the Effects of Family and Schooling in America. Published in 1972, the work highlighted the limits of education reform’s ability to lessen income inequality in America based on data collected during much of the 1960s.

Paul Starr, who co-founded The American Prospect magazine with Jencks and others in 1989, described Jencks in a memorial piece as “a model of intellectual courage and integrity” and credited his ability to tackle hard questions, follow evidence, and remain open to new ideas others may find uncomfortable.

“Sandy stood out among social scientists for his combination of high-level quantitative skills and accessible, lucid writing,” wrote Starr. “Inequality created a furor because Sandy and his co-authors found that educational reforms on which so much hope had been placed did little to reduce inequality in pay. Greater economic equality would require more direct intervention.”

Inequality was far from the last of his books to create a stir, with 1994’s The Homeless, 1998’s The Black-White Test Score Gap and others earning awards, intense debate, and significant changes to how wealth, inequity, and education are studied.

“Sandy was a towering giant in the study of inequality and social policy,” said Professor David Deming. “No one I know was more skilled at extracting the most trenchant and important insights from a book or a research paper. Sandy deserved every bit of his legendary reputation. He was a dedicated mentor to me and to so many others, and I am deeply grateful for our time together.”

Jencks joined Harvard as a lecturer in 1967, following several years working as an analyst for the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington. He later moved to Northwestern in 1979 as a professor of sociology and fellow of the Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research, returning to academic life in Cambridge in 1996 until his retirement in 2016.

A lasting legacy of Jencks work in research and teaching remains, where those he mentored continue to work shaped by his lessons, advice, and generosity. Colleagues and mentees have also reflected on his intense focus, kindness, and intellectual acumen.

“Sandy was the best adviser I or anyone could have asked for,” said Professor Jal Mehta. “Exceedingly generous of spirit and time, he took a lost graduate student and helped me find a direction and scholarly identity, even though it was very different from his own.”

Mehta recalled the lessons Jencks taught him about his own work, including editing his writing line by line and “setting a daunting example for what it means to be a good adviser.”

“Working with Sandy made me ask three questions that are still with me: 1) Is this true? 2) How would I know? and 3) Is there a simpler way to say it?” Mehta said. “To this day, I ask those questions of every sentence I write — my life would be much easier but not nearly as good without Sandy’s intervention.”

Jencks is survived by his wife of 49 years, HKS Professor Jane Mansbridge, as well as his son, Nat Jencks and grandson, Wilder.