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Sad News - sheriand - 01-16-2014

I'm ever grateful for Dean Fred.

http://dailyprincetonian.com/news/2014/01/hargadon-former-dean-of-admission-dies-at-80/


Re: Sad News - Hulk01 - 01-16-2014

God my body just shuddered.  I have publicly thanked Fred many times for changing my life.  There is no way that I should have been admitted to Stanford but he and his team found something in my application that convinced them I belonged there.

I'm writing this in a Starbucks and people are looking at me and must be thinking I have lost a close friend or family member.  I am shaking.  God bless you Fred


Re: Sad News - Robbie - 01-16-2014

Thank you, Fred.

Re: Sad News - tfeldstein - 01-16-2014

Very sad. Really amazing how he touched a whole generation  of Stanford students.

Re: Sad News - Hulk01 - 01-16-2014

I want to read all of these but it is very hard.

Re: Sad News - Cadet84 - 01-16-2014

Got me to dig out my admissions letter. Yes I still have it.
Thanks Fred.

Re: Sad News - Kathy - 01-16-2014

Oh, no ...


Re: Sad News - Leftcoast - 01-16-2014

Sad news - I'll always remember his infectious humor when speaking.

Wasn't Dean Fred's signature admission letter phrase  "Great!" ?  The Princeton article quotes "Yes!" so either my memory is going or he adapted it for Princeton.

Re: Sad News - Papa John - 01-16-2014

Great! was the word that changed my life for the better in 1980.

Re: Sad News - 76lsjumb - 01-16-2014

(01-16-2014, 12:18 PM)Leftcoast link Wrote:Sad news - I'll always remember his infectious humor when speaking.

Wasn't Dean Fred's signature admission letter phrase  "Great!" ?  The Princeton article quotes "Yes!" so either my memory is going or he adapted it for Princeton.

Princeton may have been "Yes!", but you're right, Stanford was "Great!"

R.I.P.

Re: Sad News - oman - 01-16-2014

(01-16-2014, 12:19 PM)Papa John link Wrote:Great! was the word that changed my life for the better in 1980.

Okay class of 84?

He was a big deal to us.

Re: Sad News - Mick - 01-16-2014

He f'd me over in 1980 for the class of '84... :P

Re: Sad News - Spiny_Norman - 01-16-2014

Whether as a student or alum, every time I was around Dean Fred, I felt better about myself, about Stanford and about life in general. That is a rare gift and he was a rare and special person.  There are not many Dean Fred-type people in the world.  We are so lucky to have known him.

Re: Sad News - pefloresjr - 01-16-2014

I've posted here before that I really thought the "Great!" meant he was personally excited to extend the offer of admission to me until I arrived and discovered it was his standard practice.  However, his unbridled enthusiasm for the entire student body showed that he truly was personally excited to welcome all of us to the extraordinary opportunities and environment at Stanford. 

My sophmore year I had an opportunity to speak to Dean Fred for the first time.  I was astounded to discover that he remembered me.  I introduced myself and told him I was from Riverside.  He responded that he recalled that I was the first kid from my high school to attend Stanford and even asked about my large family.  He really wanted to know how I was doing and told me to be sure to contact him if I had any problems.  I had felt like I was struggling (Stanford struggling: getting all Bs freshman year) and had doubts that I belonged at a place like Stanford.  His interest made me feel special and made me feel like I really did belong and could even excel. 

Dean Fred touched many of us and changed many of our lives.  I've shed a few tears while writing this post and I will never forget and never stop being grateful to Dean Fred. 

Cheers,
Pete F. 

Re: Sad News - 82lsju - 01-16-2014

got him to autograph the class of '82 commencement program at our 25th reunion

here he is with our commencement speaker (Sandra Day O'Connor) at the same reunion



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Re: Sad News - Papa John - 01-16-2014

So I gather that others on this thread (oman?) had to, among other things, describe themselves in one word on their Dean-Fred-era Stanford application? Mine was "hopeful." Anybody else remember theirs?

Re: Sad News - oman - 01-16-2014

(01-16-2014, 03:17 PM)Papa John link Wrote:So I gather that others on this thread (oman?) had to, among other things, describe themselves in one word on their Dean-Fred-era Stanford application? Mine was "hopeful." Anybody else remember theirs?

I think I went with "bollard".

Re: Sad News - StanFan88 - 01-16-2014

A letter than changed my life forever.  RIP Dean Fred from part of your last "greatest class ever" ('88)

Re: Sad News - Oasis - 01-16-2014

I think I got something like "Count yourself lucky."  It was true.

Re: Sad News - Papa John - 01-16-2014

(01-16-2014, 04:12 PM)oman link Wrote:[quote author=Papa John link=topic=9412.msg81917#msg81917 date=1389910661]
So I gather that others on this thread (oman?) had to, among other things, describe themselves in one word on their Dean-Fred-era Stanford application? Mine was "hopeful." Anybody else remember theirs?

I think I went with "bollard".
[/quote]

That's priceless, oman! In the cobwebs of my mind I remember all of the class of '84 frosh being shepherded into Mem Aud for a history-of-Stanford lesson. And I think it was at that plenary meeting that the Admissions/Orientation folks revealed the most popular responses for the one-word self descriptors. I don't remember "bollard" being mentioned, but I do, for some reason, remember that one person described himself as "gaseous." The exercise stuck with me because, as an awkward 17 1/2 year-old neophyte, that was one of my ice-breakers during my first week at Stanford: "What's your name? Where are you from? Where are you living on campus? What was your word?"