Seth Earl Herbert – 50th Reunion Essay

Seth Earl Herbert

983 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10028

sherb1031@aol.com

646-329-4618

Education: Yale (BA, 1969), Harvard (MA, 1972, JD, 1974)

Career: Corporate lawyer: Sullivan & Cromwell, Levi Strauss & Co., Tambrands Inc., Foot Locker Inc. and The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc.

College: Silliman

It is with a mixture of pride and awkwardness that I put pen to paper in an effort to summarize the past 50 years. There is, indeed, much to be proud of and grateful for. My career as a corporate lawyer, beginning as an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell, followed by senior in-house positions at four multinational corporations, enabled me to live in Europe for almost 10 years and has taken me to places I would never otherwise have seen. And as a practicing attorney, I regularly experience the satisfactions of both an expert and a student on a daily basis. Despite the inevitable warning signs of age, I have been graced with relatively good health, and I continue to find a comforting refuge in my home of over 30 years on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. All of this while continuing to learn and to develop the mind that Yale awakened decades ago.

Nevertheless, despite my best efforts to preserve a hopeful and healthy approach to life, with the passage of time, I have begun to experience increasing doubt and confusion. In the end, what can possibly matter when you are alone; when loved ones gradually become memories; and when there is more past than future to embrace?

The above paragraphs were written several months before I retired as senior international counsel at Estee Lauder, after 16 years with the company. In fact, retirement has proven to be a remarkable experience in self-rediscovery. Each day I am surprised by how many ordinary pleasures I missed because of my dedication to a ruthlessly demanding job. I had long wondered what would give me a sense of purpose when I woke up in the morning if I were to retire. Now that I am responsible for the content of my waking hours, I am working to answer that question with creativity, discipline and love.

During these past months of retirement, I have been taking courses at a local college; tutoring adults seeking their high school equivalency degree; providing pro bono legal services to veterans; reading more widely; and, of course, spending meaningful time with friends and family. While the fundamental existential challenges are no less real or daunting, somehow I am able to greet each day with hope and gratitude. May it continue.