Proctor Pair Become Parents on Move-In Day

As the College welcomed hundreds of new faces to the Yard, two longtime Greenough proctors left Harvard to pay special attention to one new arrival.

Matt J. and Joyce L. DeGreeff drove to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston on Saturday, where Joyce DeGreeff gave birth to the couple's first child, 6 lb., 6 oz. Jeremiah Robert.

"He wanted to move in with the freshmen," Matt DeGreeff said.

He said he awoke at 4 a.m. on Saturday morning to find that his wife had been experiencing contractions.

But since the baby was not due for another three weeks, the couple decided to wait before rushing to the hospital.

They waited until 10 a.m., when they decided that Joyce was, indeed, in labor.

"We got to the hospital at 11 o'clock, and the baby was born at 12:33," Matt DeGreeff said. "Labor is never easy, but it went quickly for Joyce."

"This is the highlight of my life, and we are very blessed," he said.

Dean of Freshmen Elizabeth Studley Nathans congratulated the new mother and father.

"We're excited and delighted for Matt and Joyce," she said. "Jeremiah Robert couldn't have chosen better parents."

Matt DeGreeff said the couple regretted not having been able to spend the weekend addressing the questions and concerns of their new proctor group, but said the move-in went smoothly despite their absence.

"I got a lot of help from colleagues who covered for me," he said.

As for the couple's ability to balance their proctoring and parenting duties in the future, DeGreeff said he foresees no problems.

"In fact, I'll be home more now, so I'll be more accessible to my students," he said.

Matt DeGreeff said Greenough will make an ideal home for the family's newest member.

"It's a great environment for a young child because we have countless baby sitters, great parks nearby...it's not in the Yard, so there aren't so many tourists," Matt DeGreeff said.

Christine E. Kelly, a fellow proctor and friend of the DeGreeffs said she is confident that Matt and Joyce can easily fulfill all of their responsibilities.

"If anyone can do it, it is Matt DeGreeff, super-proctor," she said.