Emeritus Professor Greeley, who was previously the director of admissions at MIT, has passed away at the age of 88. Professor Greeley made significant contributions to the university during his tenure.

Roland Bradford Greeley, a professor emeritus of regional planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and former director of admissions during his 27-year career, died on January 4 of heart failure at the age of 88. During his tenure at MIT, Greeley served as director of admissions from 1961 to 1972, a period when the Institute began its efforts to increase diversity in both student and faculty populations. Known primarily for his work in regional planning, Greeley’s role in admissions was deeply personal to him, as evidenced by a license plate his mother gifted him, which read “ADMIT.” His daughter, Sally Anne Greeley Benson, recalled how he brought the Institute from a pre-World War II approach to a more modern method of admitting students. Peter Richardson, who worked under Greeley as associate director before succeeding him, noted that the transition was challenging, particularly when the Institute finally opened its first women’s dormitory, McCormick Hall, in 1967, and faced limited housing options for many years. The 1960s shift in recruitment efforts also required the Institute to develop strategies for attracting minority students. Greeley’s work at MIT “placed him at the center of a movement to create a more inclusive academic environment,” as he was known to say.

The situation in the office was confusing, with people pushing and pulling in all sorts of directions, and the staff wasn’t entirely sure of their role. Despite the challenges, Mr. Richardson noted that hard work kept everyone balanced. He credited this stability to Mr. Greeley’s guidance. Before becoming director of admissions, Greeley had already shown his commitment through his involvement in various committees and his role as chair of the Freshman Advisory Council for two years. His daughter described him as a skilled interviewer and connection-maker, always striving to build personal relationships regardless of where they were in the world. Additionally, Greeley was renowned for his work in the planning field, serving as a consultant to numerous organizations in the U.S. and countries like Thailand and India. His most cherished work, however, was in Lexington, where he served on the Planning Board in the 1930s and again in the sixties, holding the roles of secretary and chairman.

Professor Roland Greeley also served on the Board of Selectmen from 1968 to 1971 and was a member of the Historic District Commission in the 1970s. His father had been an active participant in the Lexington community prior to his son, holding the position of president of the local Historical Society. Professor Greeley made significant contributions to his hometown, including installing brown and white plaques at historic sites along Massachusetts Avenue. That same day’s first page of his obituary in the Lexington Minuteman read: “Local icon Roland Greeley dead at 88.” Greeley earned his AB from Harvard College in 1931 and attended Harvard City Planning School from 1931 to 1934. He served as chief planner for the New England Regional Planning Commission from 1935 to 1943 and worked as a control engineer at the Federal Works Agency in Boston before joining the MIT faculty in 1945. He rose through the ranks, becoming an associate professor in 1947, acting head of the Department of City and Regional Planning (now the Department of Urban Studies) from 1951 to

During his final week, he was still in his house, which he called home during his youth. His sister, Anne Greeley Dutka, shared that he spent that week in the music room, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He was deeply involved in the First Parish Church, and his bed in the living room offered a view of the Christmas tree, which they kept lit for him. His wife, Marion (Kimball) Greeley, passed away in 1986, and just last month, he experienced the loss of his son, Warren Kimball, who died at age 57. Professor Greeley is survived by three sons: William Bradford in Devon, PA; Edward Houghton in Nairobi, Kenya; and David McLean in Brooks, ME; a daughter, Sally Anne Greeley Benson in Bigelow, MN; twin sisters Ellen Greeley Bryant Warren and Anne Greeley Dutka, both of Lexington; 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Funerals were held on January 7 at the First Parish Church in Lexington

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