Dean of Admissions and Financial Aids L. Fred Jewett '57 has been named dean of Harvard College.

Jewett succeeds John B. Fox Jr. '59, who in February announced his desire to step down and who yesterday was appointed administrative dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (see accompanying story). Jewett will assume the duties of the College's top administrator on Thursday.

Dean of the Faculty A. Michael Spence made the announcement yesterday, more than a month before the next meeting of Harvard's Governing Boards, which still must approve Spence's selection. However, Spence said that he already had consulted Board members about his choice so that he could make the announcement this summer.

The selection of Jewett, who has worked for the University since receiving his Master's in Business Administration from the Business School in 1960, brings to an end a five-month search for a successor to Fox.

As the College's top administrator, Jewett will oversee the non-academic lives of more than 6000 undergraduates. In addition, the will, Mass., native will chair the Administrative Board, as well as the student-faculty Committee on College Life and Committee on House Life.

Jewett's first task in his new post will be to review the controversial Committee on Rights and Responsibilities, which this year heard the cases of students involved in two recent anti-apartheid protests.

Jewett will inherit a job that also will require him to oversee the completion of a $27 million renovation project to two Radcliffe Quadrangle Houses, monitor the development of the Harvard Foundation, an organization set up to coordinate the affairs of minority students at Harvard, and constantly respond to an upsurge in student protests against University investments in South Africa.

About his choice, Spence said that "Fred is very bright. He's very attached to the College, he's an experienced administrator, and he has a way of working with people that's comfortable."

Jewett said that in his 13 years as dean of admissions, he was proud that his office had been able to maintain need-blind admissions, and that accessibility to the College had been guaranteed to people of both sexes and all socio-economic backgrounds.

"The integration and merger of Harvard and Radcliffe has certainly gone as well or better than I had anticipated," Jewett said.

He added that his move from Byerly Hall to University Hall will allow him to "make Harvard the place we [at the admissions office] say it is to incoming freshmen."

Jewett said yesterday that his primary objective as dean of the College will be to "enable students to make use of the facilities and resources available to them." He added that he is anxious to help as many students as possible "find their niche in the College."

The new dean also said that in addition to maintaining the strength of the House system and working closely with the 13 Masters, he hopes to be both open and accessible to students of the College.

He said he would be trying to "consult with students on a variety of issues," both in and "outside the formal office-hour structure," and by continuing to "live in, or very near the College to work with students."

Critics of Fox have said that the 6-ft., 9-in, administrator did not have enough contact with students in his 10 years as dean of the College.