Robert Coldwell Wood

Robert Coldwell Wood
Born	(1923-09-16) 16 September 1923 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	1 April 2005(2005-04-01) (aged 81) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Political scientist, educator, public official
Years active	1959–1980
Known for	Under Secretary and Acting Secretary of HUD; President of the University of Massachusetts; Superintendent of Boston Public Schools

Robert Coldwell Wood (September 16, 1923 – April 1, 2005) was an American scholar in political science, educator, and public official. He held a professorship in political science at MIT and was appointed Under Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration from 1965 until 1969. At the conclusion of Johnson’s presidency, Wood briefly assumed the role of Acting Secretary for a two-week period.

Following his government service, Wood returned to MIT where he led the Joint Center for Urban Studies, a collaborative effort between MIT and Harvard, and also served as chairman of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. From 1970 through 1977, he was president of the University of Massachusetts, overseeing notable institutional growth including the creation of the UMass Medical Center in Worcester and expansion with a Boston campus. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in situating the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum at Columbia Point near UMass-Boston.

Early life and career

Born in St Louis, Missouri, Wood was the son of Mary (née Bradshaw) Wood and Thomas Frank Wood. Awarded a scholarship to Princeton University, his studies were interrupted by military service in World War II. During his Army tenure, he participated in the Battle of the Bulge, earned a Bronze Star, and rose to the rank of sergeant.

Wood completed his undergraduate education at Princeton before pursuing advanced degrees at Harvard University, where he obtained a master's degree in public administration along with both a master's and doctorate in government.

Between 1959 and 1965, Wood was on the faculty at MIT teaching political science prior to his appointment as HUD Under Secretary. In 1968, he was honored with the Wiener Medal for Cybernetics by the American Society for Cybernetics. Upon the resignation of HUD Secretary Robert C. Weaver, Wood briefly served as Acting Secretary until George Romney took over.

After his tenure at HUD, Wood resumed academic leadership as director of the Joint Center for Urban Studies and chaired the MBTA board. His presidency at the University of Massachusetts saw significant developments including new campuses and cultural initiatives.

In 1978, Wood was appointed superintendent of Boston Public Schools, becoming the first outsider to hold that position since 1912. He navigated the district through federally mandated desegregation busing efforts. However, due to political opposition linked to busing policies, he was voted out by the school committee in 1980.

Personal life

Wood married Margaret Byers on March 22, 1952. The couple had three children, among them actor Frank Wood and Maggie Hassan, who served as Governor and U.S. Senator from New Hampshire. Wood passed away at age 81 on April 1, 2005, at his residence in Boston due to stomach cancer.

Publications

Among Wood’s significant works are:

• 1958. Suburbia: Its People and Their Politics
• 1959. Metropolis against Itself
• 1961. 1400 Governments; The Political Economy of the New York Metropolitan Region, co-authored with Vladimir V. Almendinger
• 1972. The Necessary Majority: Middle America and the Urban Crisis
• 1993. Whatever Possessed the President? Academic Experts and Presidential Policy, 1960-88
• 1995. Turnabout Time: Public Higher Education in the Commonwealth, co-authored with Richard A. Hogarty and Aundrea E. Kelley

External links

• Obituary for Professor and HUD Secretary Robert Wood. MIT, April 6, 2005.
• A Catalog of His Personal Archives at the John F. Kennedy Library.

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