IN MEMORIAM
HOMER JAMES HAGEDORN
May 2, 1926 - June 21, 2019
Homer James Hagedorn, born May 2, 1926, in Jefferson, Iowa, died peacefully on June 21 in Cambridge, Mass.
A remembrance celebrating Homer’s life was held on Nov. 24 at the Harvard Faculty Club in Cambridge, Mass.
Homer grew up on a dairy and seed-corn farm in Jefferson, Iowa, the eldest of four siblings. As a high school senior, he won a debate prize on the subject: “Why I Will Be a Farmer.” Winning would bring an agricultural scholarship to Iowa State. However, Homer returned the prize because he knew he did not want to be a farmer and realized that he needed to be honest with himself and the prizegivers.
Homer joined the U.S. Navy upon graduation from high school in 1944, during World War II. Sent first to Chicago, he became an electrical repair specialist, and then helped repair ships in San Diego while waiting to join the war in the Pacific Theatre. He did not see action, however, as the war ended the day before his ship was scheduled to leave port.
Homer’s next stop, thanks to the G.I. Bill, was Iowa State University in Ames, where he graduated as valedictorian of his class. He continued his education at Harvard, earning a master’s degree and ultimately a doctorate’s degree in American history in 1955.
Harvard was very important to Homer, not only for his education. He met his future wife, Patricia Kirlin, who worked there. He also found a home for his intellect and a worthy institution to support. By the mid 1970s, he was president of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) Alumni Association. He asked why there was no annual fund in support of the GSAS, like there was for the college. He then served as the new GSAS annual fund leader from its inception until 2010.
Harvard recognized Homer for his commitment to the school: He was named as a member of the Board of Overseers for five years in the 1980s; received the Harvard Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Service in 1991; and was the David T. W. McCord ’21 recipient in 2009 for distinguished lifetime achievement in fundraising.
He and Pat married in 1952. When Homer achieved his doctorate’s degree, he received a Fulbright Scholarship and attended the London School of Economics in 1955-56. He and Pat enjoyed exploring London together.
After they returned to the States, he worked first at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and then as director of Indian Ocean Strategy for the Institute of Strategic Naval Studies. In 1965, he joined Arthur D. Little as management consultant. For much of his tenure there, he led the Organizational Design and Development Practice. He retired in 2001.
After moving to Lexington, Mass., in 1960, Homer and Pat settled on Fiske Road in 1962 and stayed there for more than 50 years. Both Homer and Pat were elected and re-elected to Town Meeting; Homer also served on the selection committee to hire three town managers. In 2015, he and Pat moved to Cadbury Commons in Cambridge, where they found a warm and caring community.
Homer found a love of sailing and figure skating through his sons, Fred and Charlie. As the boys learned to sail and compete, Homer became a member of the Winchester Boat Club’s Board of Directors and eventually served as its commodore, the first one to reside outside Winchester while in office. He also taught himself enough about dinghy racing so he could serve as chair of the club’s race committee for several years. He was also instrumental in helping the club expand with the purchase of adjacent lakefront land. Homer and Pat were both elected honorary members of the Winchester Boat Club, the highest honor the club could bestow.
After their sons ended their competitive figure skating careers, Pat and Homer became involved with the national governing body of the sport, the U.S. Figure Skating Association. Homer served on the long-range planning committee for many years, a persuasive voice of reason helping the U.S. Figure Skating Association, the Ice Skating Institute (now known as Ice Sports Industry) and the Professional Skating Association (PSA) to work together. He was still flying to meetings in Colorado when he was 90. One outcome of this work was the Coaching Program that is now a hallmark of the sport. Homer and Pat were awarded the F. Ritter Shumway Award by the PSA in 2002. Homer also served in a similar long-range planning capacity for the Skating Club of Boston.
Homer accomplished much and contributed to many, but those who knew him most miss his warm, kindly, intelligent personality. He listened, empathized and returned such insights and understanding that his interlocutor invariably felt both heard and understood. His good humor and affection for others meant each person who met him felt understood and appreciated—good, in other words.
Homer is survived by his wife; his sons; daughters- in-law Sarah Alger (Frederick) and Luciana Aquino- Hagedorn (Charles); grandchildren Tyler, Alex, Clara and Henry; and brother Harry. He was predeceased by his brother Fred (Oct. 1, 2019) and his sister, Dorothy.
ISI Reflects on a Great Man …
“Homer was a very important mentor, confidant and friend for me in so many ways. Over the years, Homer and I had many quiet talks where he would help me to see other perspectives or approach a difficult issue from a vantage point that allowed all sides to find consensus and make progress.
“I know there are many people who can say the same thing about Homer, people who might see the industry or the world very differently but through Homer were able to find a common vision that bound us all together. His rare blend of intelligence, practicality, integrity and genuine kindness allowed him to be a bridge-builder between so many people and organizations in the skating community, the business world and his personal relations. A person of his talents and character comes along rarely, and I consider myself a very fortunate person for having the opportunity to share a small bit of his life. I will miss him greatly as will the ISI and the skating world.”
— ISI President Rob McBride
“Homer was undeniably the most intelligent person I have ever met. It was an honor to work with him during the development of the iAIM program. Homer was truly a visionary, who delighted in helping others evolve through education. He possessed the rare combination of wisdom, intellect, humility and common sense. Homer loved people and he loved his volunteer work, furthering and uniting our sport. He was a true gentleman, and I will treasure our conversations, which were always a source of inspiration for me.”
— ISI 2nd Vice President Lisa Fedick
“Homer was a very special person to me. His insights about life, ice skating, history and the world were amazing. He was not one to dominate a board meeting with constant talk, but when he did speak everyone listened. Yes, brevity was not something you would expect from Homer, but when he spoke he had a way of having insights that helped me to better understand and find solutions for the challenges we were discussing. Homer’s thoughtful advice was always something I took to heart. I still use his thoughts and advice to this day, one of the most important being to listen, stop and think before responding.
“My favorite times with Homer were after the board meetings, having a glass of red wine and talking about all topics imaginable. For a person who was so accomplished and had so many careers, he was much more interested in my career and how I got to where I am today than talking about himself. One of the last things we did together, that he was insistent upon, was writing a biography on my career and how I got to where I am today.
“I loved hearing about his time growing up in Iowa and his Army service during World War II. Homer
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