“When I got the list of who my roommate was, next to Michael Lynton it said ‘The Hague, Holland.’ I was expecting a little Dutch boy. He was far from it,” Kramer said.

During his time at the College, Lynton found a place in a range of social groups across campus—from the “elite euro types” to Kirkland’s “rowdy jocks” to Adams’ “hipsters” to Lowell’s “more straight-ups,” according to Bogert.

John “Janno” N. Lieber ’83-’84 remembered when Lynton helped him find a place to store his dorm furniture for the summer and carry it all across Harvard Square.

“He’s one of those people who was always stepping up to help you,” Lieber said.

But the focus on his friends did not stop Lynton from spending time with his family. Lynton’s younger sister, Carol “Lili” R. Lynton ’83 joined him at Harvard in 1979. Nearly every Sunday, the siblings met to call their parents. They maintained a strong connection to the international community, yet another group that Lynton became a part of.

THE BUSINESS MAN

Soon after graduation, Lynton headed to Wall Street, where he worked as an investment banker.

“That was a riptide that was sucking a lot of people in. It was the easiest thing to do at the time,” Lynton said.

Lynton eventually decided to leave his job and return home to Holland. As he struggled to decide what to do next, Lili suggested that he come back to the United States and enroll at Harvard Business School with her.

Unlike at the College, Lynton’s time at the Business School was not spent pursuing an active social life, but rather engaging with his other passion—business. He and Lili became a two-person study group to get through the rigors of the Business School.

And his drive did not diminish when he entered the corporate world with a MBA in hand.

“Personalities are such an important part of the entertainment business,”said Lisa M. Henson ’82. “He has the ability to move easily among all different kinds of projects.”

Friends said that the dedication and talent that have made Lynton successful were apparent from the time they first met.

“Can you pick out as a kid who you think is going to waltz to the tippy top? Michael was smart, and he has great face. It was clear from the beginning he was on the business track,” Bogert said.

—Staff writer Kerry M. Flynn can be reached at kflynn@college.harvard.edu.