A Pillar of the Fletcher School

Fletcher is what it is in no small part due to Jes Salacuse. That we are both a professional school that educates future leaders and an academic institution that pushes the limits of knowledge is a tribute to Jes’ vision. Throughout his career, he combined those qualities, erasing the boundary between professional preparation and academic rigor. He brought that to Fletcher in his nine transformative years as Dean and kept it alive in the following decades as a mentor to so many of us.

When I was appointed Academic Dean, by far the most valuable book I read was Jes’ Leading Leaders: How to Manage Smart, Talented, Rich, and Powerful People. It is a guide on how to lead so-called “horizontal” institutions (like universities and hospitals), where the bosses have little authority over those they are supposed to manage. Leadership, as Jes explained in the book and in many conversations, is less about directing than it is about persuading, motivating, negotiating, and inspiring. He generously gave his time to share that wisdom not only with me but with every Dean and Academic Dean that succeeded him.

Jes continued to produce books—seemingly one every other year—right up to 2024. He continued serving his profession (and the world) as an arbitrator and counselor until a few years ago. He kept teaching large classes and mentoring faculty and students until his last days at Fletcher. With all of that, one would think he deserved a break from academic administration. Yet when Tufts decided to establish a new Faculty Senate in 2017, Jes stepped up. The terms of reference for the Senate were deliberately left vague, on the understanding that the faculty should build it, not the administration. Leading that effort seemed like a thankless task, and no one had more right to say ‘no thanks’ than Jes Salacuse after all he had done for the School and University. But that was not how Jes operated. He agreed to serve as the first Senate President and took it on his shoulders to build that institution, which he did brilliantly.

Jes was a great scholar, a great teacher, a great practitioner, and a great friend. It is hard to imagine the Fletcher School without him. Fortunately, his memory will live on in every hallway, office, and classroom—and in the hearts of everyone who was lucky enough to know him.