Father, Son Graduate Together

Like father, like son.

Norton Q. Sloan Jr. '58 and his son, Norton Q. Sloan III '90, already have a lot in common. They have practically the same name and both call Harvard their alma mater.

Now they will have another experience to share: Both father and son will receive graduate degrees from the University today.

The elder Sloan will receive his masters of liberal arts in History of Science from the Extension School. His son will receive his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

They did not realize that they would be getting their degrees at the same time until this winter, said the younger Sloan.

"It was pretty coincidental," he said. "I didn't know that I'd be defending [my thesis] this year until the winter. Then we realized that [my father] had almost finished by then."

After graduating from the College in 1990, Norton Q. Sloan III began working on his Ph.D., with a dissertation focusing a computer simulation of ocean currents and temperatures.

His father, who also has an MBA from the Business School and is now retired from corporate finance, began taking classes at night from the Extension School at about the same time.

"These were courses I found intellectually stimulating," said the elder Sloan. "Then I found there was a masters degree program that I could join, and it seemed like a good challenge."

Father and son have enjoyed their common studying experiences and share a love science, they said.

"It's been kind of fun comparing stories in graduate school," said the son.

"We've both had a lot of interest in what the other was studying," said his father. "One of the things we used to do was to get together for supper before or after my class, and he'd tell me what he was doing and I'd tell him what I was working on."

Today, both father and son will get to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The duo plan to celebrate with family and friends at dinner after the Commencement ceremonies.

They have only one hurdle to jump: planning the family schedule to fit in both commencement ceremonies.

"I think we've got it all planned out, as long as everyone sticks to the schedule. We'll be running across the Square to get from one to the other," said the father.