Associate Dean of Freshmen W.C. Burriss Young '55 first considered retirement four years ago but was persuaded to stay, Elizabeth S. Nathans, dean of first-years, said in an interview yesterday.

Nathans said that she learned of Young's intentions shortly after her arrival at Harvard four years ago and asked him to stay on.

"At first he said he would stay for just one more year, but then he stayed the next and the next and so on," she said, "I'm grateful he decided to stay."

"The connections he has to senior faculty allow the FDO [Freshman Dean's Office] to bring freshmen in touch with all those people," Nathans said.

Nathans emphasized the importance of long tenure at Harvard, especially in administrative positions, where personal connections matter.

"Dean Young is truly one of the old stock academics who stay in the same place their entire lifetime," she said. "In a place with an unwritten culture such as Harvard, he knows the inner workings of the institution."

Nathans added that she believes Young embodies the Harvard spirit. "Dean Young's expertise simply cannot be replaced," she said.

According to Nathans, Young consistently reaches out to first-years--especially those who come to him with specific projects. She cited the first-year Shakespeare troupe which needed money that Young was able to find.

Along with praising Young's identification with Harvard's past, Nathans added that one of his greatest assets is his commitment to change.

"You will never, never hear him say we've always done something and so it can't be done another way," she said.