Howard Bliss Leavitt ’43

Howard Bliss Leavitt ’43 died October 16, 2016, at home in Amherst, Massachusetts. Howie grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, where his father was president of International College, a prep school associated with the University of Beirut. At Dartmouth he was an English major, in the Dartmouth Players and the Christian Union, treasurer of the French Club, on the chess team and active with the Ledyard Canoe Club, the DOC and squash and soccer. He joined the Navy after graduation and married Margaret Mentzer before leaving for duty in the Pacific as a communications officer. After the war Howie earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in education at Columbia University. Howie’s life was divided between academia and international development organizations. He taught at Emory, Northern Illinois, Boston University and the American University in Beirut. He spent 15 years in Washington, D.C., and three years in Rio de Janeiro in the field of educational planning and development. He worked with USAID, the World Bank and an international teacher education organization. In the process he traveled to more than 60 countries. After his retirement Howie established the Council on Global Perspectives for the Professions, which aimed to bring international perspective to professionals in the fields of agriculture, public health and education. In 1997, after Margaret’s death, he married Joan Hibish. Howie was president of the class and editor of the class newsletter at the time of his death. Howie is survived by Joan; sons Hunt, John and Don and their spouses; six grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters. Howie was predeceased by his son, Ken ’72.