As he prepares to leave for a position at Swarthmore, the dean has fond recollections of his time at the College, and is looking forward to his future at another prestigious liberal arts institution.
Although he listed his open office hours for students and his annual visit to the Ravine Lodge during first-year trips as some of his favorite Dartmouth traditions, when pressed, Larimore said he found it difficult to identify a single highest point.
"It is hard for me to pinpoint any single event or thing because this has been seven years of one highlight or fun experience after another," Larimore said.
Larimore came to the College during a period marked by controversy in the wake of attempts to cut funding for the swimming and diving program and the release of the Student Life Initiative, seen by many as an attempt to dismantle the Greek system.
Despite these challenges and a first year fraught with heated debates and dissatisfaction on many counts, Larimore still said he regards his experience as a completely positive one.
On the difficulty of his first few months at the College, he said that the challenges offered a unique opportunity to shape the dean's office and build partnerships among colleagues.
"I arrived here at a time when people were really struggling with each other and where it just seemed that there was a lot that people were worried and upset about," Larimore said. "That was my orientation experience, and looking back on it I think it was the best orientation a new dean could have because everything was fair game to talk about. I didn't have much of a honeymoon period, but it was also an exciting change."
Larimore's response to the trials of his first year at Dartmouth quickly won him the respect of both students who appreciated his approachability and enthusiasm, and colleagues, including President James Wright.
Wright said Larimore's reliability and demeanor stood out as major strengths both in his initial application process and during his time at the College.
"I was so impressed by him, and he met and exceeded all my hopes and expectations," Wright said. "Dean Larimore has stepped up in wonderful ways. He's been a good colleague and he is a man of tremendous integrity. I am going to miss him a lot."
Wright said that some of Larimore's accomplishments include planning for new buildings and facilities including a dining hall, attempting to respond to the increasingly diverse student body as well as striving to make the Greek organizations more "fully a part of the Dartmouth community."
Wright added that Larimore should take pride in the legacy he leaves behind at the College.
"I think that he leaves as a dean who has the trust and affection of students," Wright said. "He's a dean that leaves with a lot of physical projects that he has managed to bring to closure and he leaves with a student body that has even stronger feelings of belonging and stronger connections with each other."
Karen Rawlins, Larimore's administrative assistant, said that she too will miss the dean's presence.
"He has so many strengths," Rawlins said. "He's just so genuine. I think that anyone who has met him and talked to him will come away with the feeling that they have just talked to a genuine person who truly cares deeply."
Rawlins, who has been working with Larimore since 2002, said that she found that the dean truly thrives upon his interactions with students. She added that it was not unusual for Larimore to be found in his office until past six o'clock, speaking with students about their futures and dispensing advice on anything from class schedules to career choices.
Though many have said that he will be sorely missed, Larimore remains ever-humble on the eve of his departure.
Citing the teachings of Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, Larimore said he regards leadership as a communal effort and experience rather than the accomplishment of a single individual.
"As I think about my time here, what I feel best about is that I have had a chance to work with a really great team of people," he said. "I hope that I have helped people work well and maybe work better together and have a little fun."
"I came here in 1999 from a place that also had an irreverent spirit where students and faculty and administrators alike had a sense of humor and a sense of humility," Larimore said, referring to his prior positions at Stanford University. "I hope the same spirit has animated life during the time that I have been here."
