Armstrong Elected President of Overseers

Charlotte P. Armstrong '49, LLB '53, has been elected President of the Board of Overseers for 1998-99. Armstrong was elected by the Board on April 4 and will assume the post, currently held by David Johnston '63, professor of law, McGill University, after Commencement.

Elected to the Board of Overseers in 1993, Armstrong serves as consultant to management and boards of directors on corporate governance, executive compensation, and board organization and compensation with the firm of Moyer & Ross in New York.

"Charlotte Armstrong has been a constantly thoughtful voice and a strong leader on our Board of Overseers for the past five years," said President Neil L. Rudenstine. "She has a broad understanding of Harvard as a whole, and as an Overseer she has taken a particularly active role in regard to such diverse areas as the humanities and arts, the law, and the experience of women at Harvard. I know that she will lead the Board with real energy

and sense of purpose, just as David Johnston has done during his

distinguished tenure. I admire Charlotte enormously, and look forward to working even more closely with her in the time ahead."

"I am honored and also thrilled to have been elected President of the Board of Overseers for 1998-99," said Armstrong. "We have a splendid board, which is fully engaged in a range of issues across the University, and I appreciate the vote of support."

Armstrong received the A.B. from Radcliffe in 1949 and the LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1953. She also received an A.M. in 1950 from Columbia University.

"This is a luminous era in Harvard's history," said Armstrong. "Under the outstanding leadership of Neil Rudenstine, the University is forging ahead to extend the frontiers of knowledge and to advance the solution of major societal problems through an exciting series of interdisciplinary initiatives.

"It is also a wonderful time for women. With the President leading the way here, too, women are ever stronger in numbers, voice, responsibility, and respect at all levels of the University. My own role is but one symbol of this steady progress."

A graduate of the first Harvard Law School class to admit women, Armstrong began her legal career as a litigator with the U.S. Department of Justice. In the private sector, she has been in private practice with Cravath, Swaine & Moore and worked, inside corporations and as a consultant, to implement progressive employee compensation and benefit programs and enhance organizational effectiveness. Throughout her career, she has sought to level the playing field for women and minorities in the workplace and public arena.

Armstrong continued: "There is much to inspire and challenge the Overseers in discharging our duty to 'keep the University true to its Charter as a place of learning' and ensure the institutional excellence to which it aspires. In the same vein personally, Harvard has always energized me to set my sights higher, keep my mind open and do my best. In this spirit, I am elated to be able to serve the University, which over the years has opened the door to so much for me and continues to enrich my life in so many ways. I look forward to a great year."

Armstrong's contributions to the Board of Overseers as a committee member have been numerous and varied. She has served on several of the Board's standing committees, including the Executive Committee, Humanities and Arts (as chair since 1997), Schools, the College and Continuing Education, and the Subcommittee on Visitation. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Visiting Committee to the Harvard Law School. She is a member of the Harvard-Radcliffe Committee to Examine and Review the Role and Status of Women Undergraduates, and chairs a current board committee on Women's Studies and the Appointment of Women Faculty.

Armstrong's other Harvard activities include chairing the Alumni Awards Committee of the Harvard Alumni Association, and serving as a member of the Nominating Committee for Overseers and Elected HAA Directors. She has served as President of the Radcliffe Club of New York, as Elected Director of the HAA, and as President of the Harvard Law School Association. She has also been Vice President of the Harvard Club of New York City.