An Appreciation: Harvard Business School’s John McArthur

ONE OF HIS BOLDEST MOVES: ELIMINATING THE GMAT AS A REQUIREMENT OF ADMISSION

He strengthened Harvard’s executive education and entrepreneurship offerings, the MBA curriculum underwent a comprehensive review, and he helped to nurture existing faculty, including strategy superstar Michael Porter, while recruiting newcomers known for their scholarly research partly to address Bok’s concerns about the academic legitimacy of the business School.

One of his boldest moves was to eliminate the GMAT test from the school’s MBA admission process in 1985. As more and more applicants flocked to GMAT prep courses from such firms as Princeton Review and Kaplan at a cost of $1000 or more, McArthur worried that it put some who could pay for those courses at an advantage over others. For the next 11 years, Harvard did not ask applicants to take a standardized test. It was optional.

“When he stopped requiring the GMAT, the reason was typically John,” recalls Jim Aisner, former director of media and public relations at Harvard Business School. “He was concerned about the fact that people were taking courses to prepare for it and not everyone could afford to do that. By eliminating the GMAT, he believed we could broaden the base of applicants to the school.”

‘HE BELIEVED THAT WHAT MAKES A GREAT LEADER ISN’T A TEST SCORE’

It was a courageous move, in part, because no other prominent business school followed Harvard’s lead. Yet, McArthur held firm. “He firmly believed that what makes a great leader isn’t a test score,” remembers Crispi. “It was a belief that there are all kinds of people who should be here and their test scores shouldn’t define them. It definitely was a catalyst for how to make HBS more inclusive.”

John Lynch, then the admissions director who would later become a four-term governor of New Hampshire, was outspoken on McArthur’s behalf. He pointed out that in a blind test, HBS found that admissions decisions made with and without the GMAT were essentially the same. Success at Harvard depended on intangibles such as motivation, interpersonal skills, perseverance, and hard work – all factors not measured by GMAT. Looking at the undergraduate grade-point average, ethics, leadership, community activities, prior work experience, and the interview made GMAT scores “superfluous.”

Lynch made clear that Harvard also was concerned about the perceived emphasis applicants place on the GMAT and that strong applicants with scores below the 99th percentile were intimidated from applying. Reinforcing McArthur’s position, Lynch also pointed out that an “artificial barrier to the admission of qualified but poorer students is unacceptable.” It wasn’t until 1996 when McArthur’s successor, Kim Clark, reinstated the test.

‘LET’S SEE WHAT DIDN’T GET DONE’

The look and feel of Harvard Business School’s current campus was largely shaped by McArthur who initiated a new master plan for the campus, the first since the original 1925 effort. “Let’s see what didn’t get done,” he told Crispi.

At the time, the school’s faculty were located in ten different locations. “He wanted all the faculty together so that sparks would fly in collaborations and research,” recalls Crispi. “He took on the renovation of Morgan Hall and that led to other locations and the faculty went from 10 locations to three.”

He closed off roads to make the HBS grounds a true residential campus. “He said, ‘Get the vehicles off the campus and put them on the fridge because this is about living and learning and not dodging cars,’” adds Crispi.

‘HE WAS THERE FOR PEOPLE. HE CARED ABOUT EVERYONE WHO CARED ABOUT HBS’

And McArthur, after reviewing the original master plan, decided that he wanted a chapel and an athletic center on the HBS campus for students, staff, and faculty. “He said the ability for reflection and spirituality are important just as wellness and health. So he embarks on the chapel and his class from 1959 raised the money for it and the athletic facility was built off of Shad’s gift.”

“John felt strongly the responsibility he carried as leader of HBS,” says current Dean Nitin Nohria in a statement. “He cared deeply about every member of the HBS community and believed in the School’s ability to transform lives. By encouraging us all to dream big dreams — in effect, spurring our intellectual ambition — he set the School on a remarkable trajectory.”

Still what colleagues most remember about McArthur was his kindness. “Whether you were in a celebratory state or in a state of anxiety, he was always there to help,” recalls Aisner. “He was there for people. He cared about everyone who cared about HBS.”

Aisner recalls a time when he had lost his doctor. McArthur quickly arranged for him to speak with the head of resident training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where the dean had long volunteered as chair. In fact, McArthur would become the moving force behind the 1994 merger of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.

‘HE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST HARVARD LEADERS IN ITS MODERN HISTORY’

By the time McArthur retired in 1995, he had clearly left his mark on the institution and the people in it.

“I’ve had the gift of seeing other Harvard leaders over the years and he is probably one of the greatest Harvard leaders in its modern history,” believes Crispi. “He had a vision for the campus, for how faculty would collaborate, for pursuing new intellectual paths, and for making the decisions that were the precursors to diversity at the school.”

A memorial service will be held at Harvard’s Memorial Church at 2 p.m. on Oct. 30 with a reception to follow at Harvard Business School.

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