Houghton confirmed his plans for departure to his Corporation colleagues at their Dec. 7 gathering, wishing to make his announcement before the end of the month to jump-start the search for a replacement next year, according to the release.

In compliance with the University’s charter, the Corporation elects any new Corporation member with the counsel and approval of the Board of Overseers. A joint committee of the Corporation and the Board will soon begin a search to fill the vacancy to be left by Houghton.

“It’s been a true honor to have been able to serve Harvard over the years,” Houghton is quoted in the release. “I believe that today, under the leadership of our distinguished president and with support from our other constituencies, the future of our ‘fair Harvard’ is bright indeed.”

“I’ve been around Harvard for more than 50 years, through challenge and change, and the wealth of talent in our community never ceases to amaze me,” wrote Houghton, a former Lowell House history concentrator and active undergraduate member of the A.D. final club.

Even before Houghton’s arrival on campus as an undergraduate, his family’s long-standing legacy at the school had already created a visible imprint—reflected prominently in the name of the Houghton Library, the University’s rare book collection. Houghton entered the Business School and completed his MBA in 1962.

—Staff writer Esther I. Yi can be reached at estheryi@fas.harvard.edu.

CORRECTION

Due to an editing error, an earlier version of the subheadline for the Dec. 16 news article "Senior Fellow Leaves Board" incorrectly stated that James R. Houghton '58 would be leaving the Harvard Corporation after a six-year term. In fact, Houghton will have served on the corporation for nearly 15 years when he steps down this spring.