Joseph Gordon (Special Tribute)

Deputy Dean, Yale College

Joseph Gordon, B.A. Amherst College, Ph.D. Yale University, faculty member and then administrator at Yale since 1976: After finishing your PhD, you started as an assistant professor of English in 1976, teaching the 19th century novel, the modern and contemporary British novel, English 125 and courses on expository writing. You then moved into vital administrative positions, over time taking more roles, chairing more committees, and holding together more programs and people than a reasonable list can enumerate—although we can try.

You have been director of the Pew Writing program, acting master of Pierson College, associate director and acting director of Yale Summer and Special programs, a member of the planning committee and a guide for the center of Language Study, the Committee on Majors, and the Air Force and Navy ROTC programs. You were a member of the Committee on Yale College Education and co-chair of the first report on the new residential colleges.

You chaired the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender program three times, oversaw the committee for transfer students, and coordinated the work of Yale College’s special academic programs Education Studies, Energy Studies, the Yale Journalism Initiative, Global Health Studies, and Human Rights Studies. You served for 20 years on the Course of Study committee, which reviewed over 10,000 courses while you were a member, have chaired for many years the Committee on Honors and Academic Standing, and are the only person who has played every role on the Executive committee, having been its secretary, fact finder, acting chair, student adviser, and dean’s designate.

Your leadership extended to student life as well, and includes your long service on the Board of Directors of University Health, the Resource Office on Disabilities, and the Faculty Committee on Athletics. You served as secretary of the local chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and brought Yale honor at the national level when you served for eighteen years as a senator, three as chairman of the Phi Beta Kappa foundation, and three as president of the national society.

Through all of this, you have been teacher and mentor to six deans of Yale College, tutoring them in all the curricular and extracurricular workings of the college, supporting their leadership, and providing the history and continuity that good stewardship requires.

This record of service, long and inspiring as it is, does not do justice to your even longer, even more inspiring record as a mentor, adviser, guide, leader, friend, counselor, teacher, instructor, helper, and guru to scores of students, staff and faculty who respect your judgment, count on your wisdom and consider you a trusted friend. Yale has had such loyal and dedicated worthies here and there over the centuries—you are among them, and what we can hope for Yale in the future is that it will always be lucky enough to have another like you.

Tribute Editor: Penelope Laurans