Calvin Marshall Mew – 50th Reunion Essay

Calvin Marshall Mew

895 West End Avenue

New York, NY 10025

calvin.mew@aya.yale.edu

212-280-1660

Spouse(s): Mary Farnham Crawford

Education: Yale College, BA, 1969; Union Theological Seminary, M.Div, 1973; Columbia University, PhD candidate, 1979; Harvard Business School, PMD, 1984

Career: Advertising Agency Executive, Bozell Worldwide, Inc. (Kenyon & Eckhardt, Inc.), Executive Vice President, Latin America; Geschaeftsfuehrer, Bozell Austria; Managing Director (Chrysler International). President, James Lenox House, Inc. Trustee, Union Theological Seminary (1984–2018). Trustee, Norfield Congregational Church, Weston, CT.

College: Calhoun (Hopper)

It would be an understatement to say that my life would have been very different if I had not attended Yale. My vision as an 18-year-old of how my life would be was very different from how my life turned out. Many life choices I made after Yale were influenced by my experiences at Yale. At the same time I don’t think being a Yalie is a conscious part of my identity.

When I wrote the essay for the 25th reunion book, my professional life, advertising agency executive, was cruising along smoothly. My personal life was good. Namely, my marriage seemed fine. (Because of the demands of our respective careers there was some benign neglect from both sides.)

Then I was FIRED by my client. I was surprised. My client had become jealous of my rising status with mutual colleagues and suppliers and persuaded his boss to ask my boss that I be taken off the business. (Some solace came a year later when the client who had me fired was fired.)

My life turned upside down. I had been removed from one of the most important client service positions in the company. It was international in scope and growing and very profitable. My company was supportive. I was “promoted” to executive assistant to the CEO. I did the job, but an empty feeling persisted.

Then there was a crisis in one of our European offices. I went to investigate and fired the general manager. I took his place. It was true that a job needed to be done and a problem needed to be fixed. But I was running away.

I did stabilize the situation and positioned the office well for the future.

But running away made me realize and understand that my marriage was more a friendship than a marriage. Our marriage of 20 years ended more or less amicably.

Upon my return from Europe—after a year in exile—the agency gave me a surprising assignment. Regional director of Latin America. A part of the world I knew little about. So I built up our network by acquisitions and partnerships brought in new business. It was fun and interesting work.

On my regular trips back to New York I spent significant time with a colleague who was dying. One dominant theme in our conversations was his regretting devoting his life to the company to the neglect of everything else.

After my friend died I decided to take a break. To explore other stuff. Officially I took a sabbatical. But I didn’t return.

So in 1999 I started the third phase of my life. I have been a management consultant to nonprofit and charitable organizations. Most of the work I do is pro bono. I serve on several nonprofit boards, most notably that of Union Theological Seminary where I am in the 31st year of board service. (Bill Coffin told me to study at Union.)

In 2001 I married an absolutely wonderful woman, Mary Farnham Crawford.