At the time, the CFIA found itself the target of radical groups critical of the center’s role in American foreign policy.

And another popular story centered on Alexander Solzhenitsyn, winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize in literature and one of many luminaries to visit Harvard.

“In the debriefing, they mentioned that he didn’t speak much English,” Barry Jones said. “He kept on remembering to watch [Solzhenitsyn’s] head, and forgot about his leg” while Solzhenitsyn was entering a car,

“Bob closed the door on his leg, and Solzhenitsyn yelled ‘you son of a bitch,’” Kathy said with a chuckle. “So he did know some English phrases.”

Jones’ death fell on Commencement day, which was particularly “ironic,” his wife said, as he had worked Commencement for around 25 years.

“A lot of people would say, where’s the sergeant that used to be here?” she said.

Colleagues also paid tribute to the breadth of Jones’ work during his time at the university.

“Sergeant Robert Jones served the students, faculty and staff of Harvard University for over thirty years with distinction,” said HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano.

Painting Jones as a man who had “a very kindly face [and] a wonderful mustache” with a perpetual “twinkle in his eye,” Gavin highlighted the sergeant’s wisdom.

“He did his job wonderfully because he lived his life wonderfully,” Gavin said.

Jones is survived by his wife and son, his brothers Lauress M. Jones Jr. and John W. Jones as well as many nieces and nephews.

—Staff writer Margaret W. Ho can be reached at mwho@fas.harvard.edu.