Theodore Sizer dies at 77

Onetime Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) Dean Theodore Sizer, who spent half a century as a teacher, education reformer, leader, author, and mentor, died Oct. 21 at his Harvard, Mass., home. He was 77.

“Ted’s contributions to education are numerous and far-reaching,” said HGSE Dean Kathleen McCartney in a statement to the Ed School community. “As a member of the HGSE faculty, as dean, and as a visionary in education, Ted made an enduring impact through his teaching and scholarship, but also his unsurpassed wisdom and insight. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Nancy, his four children, and all of Ted’s family and friends.”

In 1964, at only 31, Sizer (M.A.T. ’57, Ph.D. ’61) was named dean. Leaving the Ed School in 1972, he took over Phillips Academy in Andover. After nine years there, Sizer joined Brown University as a professor and founded two instrumental educational organizations: the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and the Coalition for Essential Schools.

To read the full obituary.