But beyond the accomplishments, friends and acquaintances describe a lively, fun and talented individual.

"He's a wonderful person...a lot of fun...he's alive," says Menschel. "He has a wonderful sense of humor, good judgment and so much energy.

Glimp adds: "He's a very strong, very intelligent man but not like a tough guy."

Among Houghton's pastimes are fly fishing at The Field, the estate he build on Spencer Hill in 1972 and art, as shown by his involvement with the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Friends say he drives a 1938 Rolls Royce station wagon and is a fan of cigars.

"We can't smoke in the office anymore, but sometimes we sneak off and smoke a few [cigars]," Campbell says.

The cigars may present a health problem, but Houghton has already had a brush with death.

Last year, Houghton stepped off a curb in Williamstown, Mass. and was struck by a car. He now walks with a cane.

"I think he really came close to being killed in that, it was a miracle that he wasn't," Rosovsky says. "I really very much admire the way he has come back from an extremely painful accident."

Daniel adds that Houghton has been "looking much more vigorous" and has even been able to swing a golf club.

Houghton splits his time between homes in Corning and New York City where he lives with his wife of 33 years, Maisie Kinnicutt Houghton '62.

They have two children-James and Nine, a 1988 Stanford graduates.

Houghton's Legacy

It will be years before Houghton's impact on the Corporation will be able to be measured, but his involvement begins immediately.

He has already attended three official functions of the Corporation: two meetings at Loeb House and a Cape Cod retrest, according to Rosovsky.

Another source close to the governing boards speculates that Houghton "no doubt played an important and useful role" in last month's selection of Kim B. Clark '74 as the new dean of the Business School.

Clark is an expert in technology and "strikes me as the kind of person [Houghton] would find very interesting, since he has been manager of a high tech company," the source says.

But his first three months have been on-the-job training. He will no doubt play a larger role as he moves along the table towards the University president.

'Jamie is not a scientist but comes from a company whose future is based on technology.... His experience in managing an intense research company is important.' --D. Ronald Daniel, Corporation Member