Richard M. Freeland
American academic administrator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Richard Middleton Freeland (born May 13, 1941) 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 by | Carlos E. Santiago |
| 6th President of Northeastern University | |
| In office 1996–2006 | |
| Preceded by | John A. Curry |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Aoun |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 13, 1941 Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Amherst College University of Pennsylvania |
Early life and career
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]
Books
- The Truman Doctrine and the Origins of McCarthyism (1972)
- Academia's Golden Age: Universities in Massachusetts, 1945-1970 (1992)
- Transforming the Urban University: Northeastern, 1996-2006 (2019) University of Pennsylvania Press ISBN 978-0812251210
