The deaths of Dorothy DeLay and Benjamin Harkarvy within one week in late March were not only institutional losses, but personal ones. Both individuals embodied compassion, determination, creativity, and generosity of spirit. But they were quite different from each other as well.

I first met Dorothy when I became dean of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She would teach there on a bi-weekly basis, and always dropped in for a chat during her stay. She and Julius Baker were the two Juilliard faculty members who nominated me as a candidate for the presidency of Juilliard. The chats happily continued at Juilliard. She would frequently arrive with a list of recent students who had realized success in a competition, audition, or performance. Dorothy was proud of all her students, but during our visits, she usually dwelled on the success of a violinist who was not under management or a competition winner; someone whose talent she had been able to help nourish in an unexpected way. Her maternal demeanor veiled a personal determination of considerable magnitude. Although her teaching style often seemed abstract to me, her focus on each student was laser-like. She was passionate about obtaining the maximum result from every student and making absolutely sure that her violinists were on correct career paths.

Ben came to Juilliard from an active professional career as a dancer, choreographer, and artistic director. He was not sure if education should be his primary focus, but once at Juilliard, the educational process consumed him. In the last meeting we had just before his untimely death, he spoke of his passion for the art of dance and his sense of mission to ensure that Juilliard dancers would have all the tools necessary to have a positive impact on the profession. One set of tools focused on Ben's view of how students should concentrate while at Juilliard. Vacant stares and a lack of commitment to the educational process, whether in the studio or the classroom, were unacceptable to Ben and would not be tolerated. His standards made Juilliard dancers fully involved and committed to all they addressed. As he stood to leave what would be our last meeting and I wished him well for upcoming student performances, he turned to me and said, "Those young people are so alive. Oh, I love this place."

Both Dorothy and Ben were in love with teaching and with the young people who were privileged to experience their artistry and vision. I know the traditions that were passed on by both of them will grow and expand in the future, as their students live what they have been taught by two extraordinary human beings.