Associate Dean of Freshman Burriss Young '55, who has worked in the Freshman Dean's Office (FDO) since 1961, has decided to retire in 1998, an official said yesterday. He plans to leave his residential position in the Yard this summer.

Young's period of residence is the longest of any current College administrator.

Yesterday colleagues and students spoke of him with the highest praise.

"As resident proctor and subsequently as Associate Dean, he has modelled for his colleagues both respect for the finest traditions of Harvard's past, and extraordinary flexibility and openness to change," Dean of Freshmen Elizabeth S. Nathans wrote in an e-mail message yesterday.

"His knowledge of this community and its resources for undergraduates is unsurpassed, and all of us on the staff value deeply his perspective and his judgment," she continued. "So, too, we value his wry humor and the literary allusions which enliven the Yard Bulletin and FDO meetings, and which keep us all in focus during our busiest times of the year."

"I don't think anyone has done more for freshmen and has had as much influence on as many people as he has," former Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said.

"I was a freshman proctor under him, and I was always amazed by the number of people he knew," Assistant Dean of Students Sarah Flatley said. "Because he has such a great network he does a great job in a crisis situation."

As a nonresident dean next fall, Young will work closely on planning orientation and special projects through out the academic year, according to Nathans.

Education and Background

After receiving his master's degree from Harvard in 1956, Young taught at Brown University and St. Paul's School of Brooklandville, Maryland. He also spent five seasons participating in the archaeological exploration of Sardis, Turkey.

Although Young's career path has been clearly removed from archaeology, his passion for that subject is ever-present.

His FDO office is filled with ancient artifacts from his excavations in the Middle East, framed manuscripts and flyers, shards of 18th and 19th century pottery from Harvard Yard, and portraits of past colleagues.

And Young's current colleagues spoke of his encyclopedic knowledge of Harvard.

"When planners for Annenberg Hall needed an example of the round tray designed by Gropius for use in the (now-former) Freshman Union, Dean Young quite predictably produced the only sample available," Nathans said.

His colleagues also recalled how Young put his knowledge to good and creative use.

It was Young who organized a gala reunion of former proctors in the Union and who initiated the updating of the historical lists of occupants of Yard rooms which were distributed to first-years last September.

The FDO has begun a national search for a new Assistant Dean of Freshmen who will join the FDO this June.

The search committee is chaired by Robert G. Doyle, director of instructional media and piano technical services, and will include members of the Freshman Caucus, according to Nathans.

Young could not be reached for comment yesterday