Harden was the best

To the Journal editor:

I attended Northern Michigan University and graduated in 1963.

During my tenure, the president of NMU was Dr. Edgar L. Harden. In my lifetime he was one of the five greatest men I ever met.

At no time during his administration of that university would a situation develop where a student could not get his attention.

He installed a procedure whereby every month he had a meeting called The Wildcat Roundtable. Every organization including university employees, student organization, and any group who wanted to participate were invited to meet with him.

He brought along his secretary, Mrs. Janette Bowdoin, who took down every word in stenography of the proceedings. When the meeting was finished Mrs. Bowdoin gave him a typed paper of everything that was said.

Dr. Harden would then methodically address each and every issue. Whether it was a student or an employee or anyone else he would contact the party involved and take appropriate action.

He could greet almost every person he met on campus by name. In short, he was a leader who led from the front.

His last post was as president of Michigan State University and the president of the University of Missouri could have leaned a lot of lessons if he sat in a leadership class taught by Edgar L. Harden.

Charles E. Blossfield

Oak Park, Illinois