Stone did not return several phone calls.

Corporation member Richard A Smith '43 refused to be interviewed for this article. University Treasurer D. Ronald Daniel, the other Corporation member, did not return several phone calls.

Still, Stone's resume paints a picture of a man who has had extraordinary success in the business world. He has served as chair of the West India Shipping Company and the General Energy Corporation and a director of Combustion Engineering, Inc. and Corning Glass International.

He is also a trustee of The National Rowing Foundation.(According to Burr, Stone rowed for the Harvard crew during his college years.)

Stone lives in Greenwich, Conn., with Helen, his wife of 48 years.

In his 50th anniversary report Stone described his service as a fellow of Harvard College in glowing terms.

"The Harvard involvement..continues to be intense but is probably the most worthwhile thing I have done in my lifetime, Stone wrote. "The resources of people running Harvard--and teaching there--is unbelievable and the real privilege of being a Corporation member is getting to know so many of these outstanding individuals."

"Hopefully, I will continue to serve the University in whatever capacity presents itself in the future," adds Stone.

Even though Slichter and Stone barely crossed paths in college and would hardly have had occasion to meet in their professional fields, they were still drawn together by a deep commitment to serve Harvard.

"In that sense," Rudenstine concludes, "there's really no difference. They're quite similar, quite wonderful human beings."