He was also a senior administrator at Colgate University and was dean of Dartmouth College until 1998, until he was appointed president of Willamette, which has law, management and education schools in addition to its college.

"He has knowledge of the management of a number of institutions and would be very helpful to us," says John B. Fox '59, who was dean of the College when Pelton was senior tutor at Winthrop.

After receiving a BA in English and psychology from Wichita State University, Pelton earned a Ph.D. in 1984 from the Department of English and American Literature and Language.

He sits on the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni council and says he has continued to take an "active interest" in undergraduate education at Harvard, serving on the Overseers' visiting committee for the College since the early 90s.

Pelton says he believes the Overseers work "effectively through visiting committees because they complete work done in partnership with deans and administrators."

Three years ago, the visiting committee looked in detail at University Health Services.

"After visiting with students, faculty and administrators, we were able to present to the provost some observations and even recommendations," Pelton says.