After the brutal rape and murder of his 19-year old daughter, Howard K. Clery, Jr. '53Tu'54 devoted his life to making campuses safer nationwide. Clery, 77, died of a heart attack, after committing 22 years to advocacy work in his daughter's honor.
Jeanne Clery was attacked while asleep in her residence hall at Lehigh University on April 5, 1986, a tragedy that spurred Clery and his wife, Constance Clery, to fight to enact legislation that would make college campuses safer. In 1990, their efforts paid off when Congress passed the Jeanne Clery Act, which requires colleges to release an annual report on campus crimes and to disclose information about security policies and campus crimes shortly after they occur. The couple's efforts led to the enactment of more than 30 other state and federal laws aimed to improve campus safety.
"Its purpose is to try and protect other students from becoming victims by making the public aware of campus crimes," Constance Clery told The Dartmouth. "We fought for it so no one else would suffer as we had by losing a child or becoming victimized."
The act is widely recognized as a landmark piece of higher education legislation.
Robert Donin, general counsel for the College, said the act "enhances the ability of students and their families to make an informed choice about college selection, and it makes a positive contribution to security on campus."
Constance Clery said that the couple's work has increased awareness of campus safety among students and the public, ultimately enhancing security on college campuses. She also praised Dartmouth for its efforts to comply with the act.
"It has saved many lives," she said. "There are so many schools that have truly improved technical security and that are trying to make it safer for kids and that is the gift we have given through our work."
While Howard Clery is likely to be remembered for his tireless public advocacy, his wife recalled the private triumphs that defined his life, including his battle with polio as a teenager. He was left physically disabled for the rest of his life, but never allowed his handicap to keep him from achieving his goals, she said. Completely paralyzed below the waist on his right side, he walked with two crutches and a full leg brace.
"Many people do not know that he walked with his shoulders from age 15," Constance Clery said. "We would have to check the records but he was probably one of the first handicapped people to be accepted at Dartmouth. It showed his guts to go to such a rugged college."
Constance Clery described her husband as someone who was courageous and strong, and who possessed great integrity.
"He had a love for mankind and a desire for justice all his life," she said.
At Dartmouth, Howard Clery was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the Green Key Society, and Casque and Gauntlet senior society. He served as vice president of his class his freshman and senior years, and as president his sophomore year.
Clery's Dartmouth roommate and close friend, Fred Whittemore '53 Tu'54, gave the eulogy at a memorial service in Villanova, Penn., earlier this week.
Clery is also survived by two sons, Benjamin and Howard III.
