HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

Distinguished Alumnus Experiences College Life

Allan D. Gilmour '56 recently spent two weeks at Harvard as the first of what may be a series of Distinguished Alumni Visitors -- alumni who, retired from successful careers, spend time at the College living in a House and participating in other aspects of College life, including classes, common room gatherings, and extracurricular activities.

Living in Leverett House, which afforded him frequent opportunities for informal talks with undergraduates, Gilmour found the students warm and inviting. "I must admit I was a bit skeptical about how I'd be received when I walked into the dining room," he says. "I was surprised not only by how much the students eat, but also how friendly they are."

Gilmour's schedule included an economics class on financial institutions and markets taught by Professor Brian J. Hall; two junior common room discussion groups -- one on environmental issues and another on corporate stewardship and evaluating young talent; and a meeting of the Harvard Republican Club. A freshman even gave Gilmour a tour of his dorm room in Canaday.

Gilmour retired in January 1995 from Ford Motor Co., where he served as vice chairman and member of the office of the chief executive and of the company's board of directors. He now devotes the majority of his time to serving on corporate boards, including Detroit Edison Co., Prudential Insurance, US West Inc., and Whirlpool. He is a member of the recently established University Corporate Campaign Committee.

Bob Martin, a freshman economics concentrator from Illinois, appreciated the opportunity to hear about Gilmour's business experiences.

Together, they attended Social Analysis 10: Principles of Economics, where the class discussed economic equations for analyzing present values versus future values.

"The teaching fellow, Todd Anderson, asked Allan for insights into the topic," says Martin. "Allan told us that, just a few weeks ago, he was at a US West board meeting to consider laying ground cable. The group used precisely the analyses we were discussing in class."

Martin adds, "It was great to see how the economics theory we are studying applied practically at such a high level in business."

"I enjoy still being involved in the business world," Gilmour notes. "It's satisfying to be part of thriving, successful companies."

Most recently, he joined the Dow Chemical board of directors, but acknowledges that he knows little about chemistry.

"I explained my predicament to a chemistry concentrator in Leverett House," Gilmour says. "A couple of days later, he approached me with a list of chemistry books simply providing the basics for nonscientists like me. I appreciated his taking the time to find exactly what I needed."

Gilmour says this experience demonstrated that alumni can learn from students just as students learn from alumni.

John Heller '96, a Pforzheimer Scholar, also enjoyed meeting Gilmour, whom he describes as "affable, modest, and engaging."

He says, "Allan's visit reminded me of the rare privilege Harvard students enjoy in meeting, seeing, and hearing leaders of every sort. I took Allan to a class on philosophy and literature where he was particularly interested in Professor Elaine Scarry's observation that the word duty is rarely used by modern writers."

Gilmour points to yet another encounter, this time with the Leverett House head economics tutor. Margaret Y. Hwang, a fourth-year graduate student who is writing her dissertation on executive compensation, was quite intrigued to hear Gilmour's firsthand account of how executive salaries and bonuses are set at Ford and other companies.

"In several of my conversations about business with students," says Gilmour, "I found that many think that the corporate world is big and tough and easy to get lost in. I countered that most of us work or study or are otherwise engaged in some sort of large organization -- be it a university, hospital, or company. Once the students accepted that they are familiar with such large organizations, it's not such a leap to better understand a Ford or a Whirlpool.

"I learned in business that there is no such thing as a goal line. You are constantly striving toward a new goal. That, I think, was a valuable point for me to convey to students for whom it is natural to think of working toward the end of a research paper, the end of a term, or finishing college, without pausing to reflect on the larger scheme of things."

Gilmour, who remarked on students' wide-ranging activities, is himself quite busy. Besides his corporate board responsibilities, Gilmour is active on three University of Michigan committees (he received his M.B.A. from the University of Michigan) and serves as chair of the Henry Ford Health System. He is on the board of the Founders Society of the Detroit Institute of Arts and is involved in a community foundation for health issues in southeast Michigan.
"Like many people around Harvard," Gilmour says, "I sometimes find myself a bit overscheduled!"

Pressed for a concluding observation, Gilmour jokingly responds, "I was surprised at how much closer together the buildings are than they used to be."