17 Facts About Fred Hargadon

Fred Hargadon was a national leader in the field of university and college admission.

Frederick Anthony Hargadon was born in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, on January 4,1934, the son of Bernard and Anna Hargadon.

Fred Hargadon had two brothers, Bernard and John, and two sisters, Anne and Judy.

Fred Hargadon attended Lower Merion High School, and worked for the post office, where he had held odd jobs since he was 14 years old, and for the Atlantic Refining Company for two years.

Fred Hargadon graduated in 1958, and did postgraduate work at Harvard University and Cornell University.

Fred Hargadon then became a political science professor at Swarthmore College.

In 1964, Hargadon became the Dean of Admissions at Swarthmore College, where he set about reforming the admissions system.

Between 1964 and 1968, Fred Hargadon managed to enroll 61 African-American students out of a total of about 1100 enrollments in this period.

Fred Hargadon drove around in a convertible with the license plate "ADMITS".

Fred Hargadon instituted a holistic evaluation of students under which admission was not merely based on academic credentials.

Fred Hargadon was a frequent guest at gatherings in dorms.

Fred Hargadon noted that while earlier generations of students had seldom attended universities more than 200 miles from their home, by the 1990s students were increasingly considering universities around the nation and overseas.

Fred Hargadon encouraged students to consider what they wanted to do at university, and not just what they wanted to do afterwards.

Fred Hargadon believed in diversity, and was proud that the last class he admitted to Stanford was contained 9 percent Black and 9 percent Hispanic.

Fred Hargadon noted that "the block one is born on is still the most determining factor in one's education", and expressed the hope that one day there would be a common core curriculum in high schools across the nation.

Fred Hargadon died at his home in Princeton, New Jersey, on January 15,2014.

Fred Hargadon was survived by his sons, Steve and Andy.