Richard Middleton Freeland (born May 13, 1941, in Orange, New Jersey) was president of Northeastern University from 1996 to 2006[1] and served as the Commissioner of Higher Education for Massachusetts from 2008 until 2015.[2]

Richard Middleton Freeland
Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
In office
2008–2015
Succeeded byCarlos E. Santiago
6th President of
Northeastern University
In office
1996–2006
Preceded byJohn A. Curry
Succeeded byJoseph Aoun
Personal details
BornMay 13, 1941
Orange, New Jersey
Alma materAmherst College, University of Pennsylvania

Freeland grew up in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, and was a 1959 graduate of Mountain Lakes High School; he was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2014.[3] He was granted a bachelor's degree in American Studies from Amherst College and a doctorate in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania.[4]

Freeland is married to Elsa Nunez, and has two children. Freeland's maternal grandmother Georgie Boynton Child was the author of The Efficient Kitchen: Definite Directions for the Planning, Arranging, and Equipping of the Modern Labor Saving Kitchen; A Practical Book for the Homemaker (1914)

During Freeland's tenure, Northeastern University went through major institutional changes, including becoming a more selective institution, moving to semesters from quarters, and the opening of over $400 million worth of new facilities.[5]

Educational positions edit

  • Clark University – Worcester (2007–2009)
    • Mosakowski Professor of Higher Education [6]
  • University of Massachusetts Boston (1970–1992)
    • Assistant to the president
    • Assistant to the chancellor
    • Director of the Office of Educational Planning
    • Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
  • City University of New York (1992–1996)
    • Vice chancellor for academic affairs
  • Northeastern University
    • President (1996–2006)
  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Higher Education
    • Commissioner of Higher Education (2008–2015)

Other positions edit

  • Vice-chair, board of trustees for the Boston Plan for Excellence
  • Director, American Council on Education
  • Director, Boston Museum Project
  • Director, Boston Private Industry Council
  • Director, Globe Newspaper Corporation
  • Director, Jobs for Massachusetts
  • Governing board member, John Adams Innovation Institute
  • Member of the board of trustees, WGBH
  • President, board of governors in the World Association of Cooperative Education

Books edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Biography of Richard M. Freeland". Archived from the original on 2006-09-03. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
  2. ^ "High education commissioner Richard Freeland to step down - the Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.
  3. ^ Alumni Hall of Fame Richard Freeland Class of 1959, Mountain Lakes High School. Accessed September 8, 2019.
  4. ^ The Carol R. Goldberg Seminars: Steering Committee Biographies, The Boston Foundation, backed up by the Internet Archive as of September 27, 2007. Accessed January 11, 2015. "Born and raised in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, Freeland received a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Amherst College in 1963 and a doctorate in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968."
  5. ^ Northeastern University
  6. ^ "Clark University | Mosakowski Institute". www.clarku.edu. Archived from the original on 2008-07-06.
Academic offices
Preceded by 6th President of Northeastern University
1996–2006
Succeeded by