CAMPUS CURRENT
First Lady to First Lady REMEMBERING JEAN FERGUSON PLATT, 1922–2013
Jean Ferguson Platt, founding fi rst lady of Harvey Mudd College, died on Feb. 18 at the age of 91. She was deeply involved in the founding of HMC, helping to establish the College in the 1950s and supporting its mission in the decades that followed. After leaving HMC in 1976, Joe and Jean Platt devoted fi ve years to Claremont Graduate University as president and fi rst lady. Among the memories shared about Jean Platt on the
memorial website are these words by former First Lady Jean Strauss, wife of Jon Strauss. Jon served as HMC president from 1997 to 2006. Jean is a documentary fi lmmaker and author.
When I heard the news about Jean, my fi rst thoughts were of Joe. Ten months ago, it was the other way around. I have never been able to separate my thoughts about them. When I think of Jean, I think of Joe, and vice-a-versa. They were that kind of couple. It seems impossible, however, that they are both gone, because they were so engaged, so ‘here,’ so ever present. Jean was my role model, my mentor, my friend. I have
missed her enormously in the years since we left HMC. She not only set the bar high for all fi rst spouses of Mudd—she set it high for any presidential spouse anywhere. I can’t think of another fi rst lady who accomplished as much as Jean. She helped build a campus from a pile of Claremont potatoes and then stayed around to help it thrive. She hosted count- less events and attended anything where she could be of help. During the nearly 10 years Jon and I were at Mudd, Jean attended almost every Saddlerock, every ARCS, every com- mencement. She didn’t do this to get a free meal. She did this because she knew it mattered. She knew it made a difference. One of the last events where I spent some time with Jean was the 50th anniversary of HMC in 2006. It was not lost on me then (or now) that she was also on hand when the College opened its doors for the fi rst time. It is impossible to quantify how much her steadfast dedica-
tion to Harvey Mudd played a role in the amazing trajectory of the institution. Obviously, many key people helped the College plant strong roots back in the late ’50s and early ’60s, from faculty and staff who dedicated their lives to the mission, to the students who chose Mudd’s unique program and who would defi ne what a Mudder could be. Joe Platt stands above them all, as the thoughtful and
joyful leader who set the whole Möbius strip in motion, with a guitar in one hand, and a heavy dose of wisdom and imagi-
4 Har vey Mudd College SPRING 2013
College News
Jean and Joe Platt
nation in the other. But he could never have done it without Jean. She was not only his chief confi dante and wise counsel, she was his best friend. Together, they mutually chose to nurture the College and its people for the rest of their lives. Jean was so many things to so many people. In addition to
being the wife of a college president, she was a mathematician, a researcher, a gardener, a silversmith, a trustee, a mother, a grandmother. Ann and Beth and their incredible families are a testament to a great gene pool and parents who had a zest for fun and hard work. Jean could be intimidating, because she set such a high
standard for herself and others. She was also incredibly kind and thoughtful. She was a pioneer who never sought the lime- light, but deserved so many accolades. If I mourn today, it is because those of us who had the privilege of knowing Jean and Joe, know what those who follow will be missing. A new generation of Mudders will never know what scientifi c rock stars Harvey Mudd College’s founders were. Those of us who are old enough, and lucky enough, know what’s been lost, as we cherish the memories of these two remarkable human beings. Many people make up the wonderful Mudd constella-
tion—but no stars will ever shine brighter than those of Joe and Jean. Godspeed. What wonderful inspirations. What treasures!
–Jean Strauss Visit the Jean Platt Memorial Website at
http://bit.ly/12JBLKl
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