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The
Eustace D. Theodore '63 Fellowship
For
Alumni Who Have Taken Roads Less Traveled
Summer 2002
by
Grace Profatilov
Grace
Profatilov is AYA Assistant Director for Communications.
Sandra
Boynton '74, the witty illustrator of greeting cards and children's
books, and Anthony Williams '79, the current mayor of Washington,
D.C., may not appear to have much in common. But both Boynton and
Williams have followed distinct and unusual paths in their pursuit
of success.
This has made them perfect recipients of the Eustace D. Theodore
'63 Fellowship. Boynton was the inaugural Fellow last year and Williams
was selected to serve as this year's Fellow. The Fellowship is awarded
to an alumnus or alumna who exemplifies the diverse purposes to
which alumni put their Yale educations. The Fellows visit the campus
to meet with students and faculty, conduct workshops and teas in either Pierson or Calhoun colleges, and make a public appearance
open to alumni and the University community.
The Eustace D. Theodore '63 Fellowship was created and funded by
the leadership of the Yale College Class of 1963 to honor their
classmate, an alumnus of Pierson College who taught in the departments
of American studies and sociology, and served as dean of Calhoun
from 1972 to 1981 and as executive director of the Association of
Yale Alumni from 1981 to 1997. In these positions he won the friendship
and admiration of a wide circle of students, faculty, administrators,
and alumni for his dedication to the values of a Yale education.
"I
was surprised and humbled by my Class's desire to honor me in this
way," says Eustace Theodore. "The Class wanted to create a unique
Fellowship and asked for my thoughts on the criteria to use in the
selection of the Fellows."
Two things came to mind, Theodore explains. "First, I admired and
believed in the strength of Yale's college system and found that
fellowships lodged in a college were among the best managed at Yale,"
he says, noting that the program is jointly administered by the
AYA and the masters of Pierson and Calhoun colleges.
Theodore's second notion was based on a reading of his 25th Class
Reunion book. "I was quite taken by the surprising variety of uses
to which my classmates put their Yale educations," he notes. "Having
worked with undergraduates as a dean and then later at the AYA,
I knew that undergraduates often see just a few pathways to success.
They believe the myth that everyone graduates and follows a straight,
steady path up the ladder in a few well-known fields such as law
and medicine. But most graduates end up pursuing a life's journey
with many twists and turns, encountering new and different opportunities
on the way."
To reflect this reality, "I thought the Fellowship should bring
to campus people with very unusual occupations, as well as those
who may on the surface seem to have more typical careers, but who
built them in an unorthodox manner," says Theodore. "My hope was
for undergraduates and others to realize that they should follow
their inner vision -- and that there were many definitions and pathways
to success."
Sandra Boynton, a member of Yale College's second graduating class
that included women, is best known for the menagerie of sheep, pigs,
hippos, and other animals in her greeting cards and children's books.
When Boynton visited campus last year, she talked about "The Curious
Misuse of a Yale Education."
This year's Fellow, Anthony Williams, has received national attention
for his work to restore fiscal probity and health to the troubled
city's administration and for his unusual approach to politics.
Mayor Williams spoke at Pierson and at a public event at Battell
Chapel about his devotion to public service and his circuitous career
path.
After high school, Williams served with distinction in the Air Force
for four years. After leaving the military, he worked with handicapped
children, and by the time he entered Yale, he was five years older
than most of his classmates. While at Yale, he served on the New
Haven Board of Aldermen and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's
in political science. He went on to earn degrees from Harvard's
Law School and Kennedy School of Government.
Mayor Williams shared some lessons he learned on the route to his
current position. Emphasizing the importance of giving something
back to the community, Williams urged everyone to spend time in
public service and in mentoring others. In the spirit of the Eustace
D. Theodore '63 Fellowship, the mayor also advised students to allow
for "detours" throughout life. Counsels Williams: "Don't simply
take the interstate." |
