Photo Credit: Martha Stewart

This is a tribute site to Julius Edwin Babbitt, a public servant and dear friend whose life was too short, yet exemplary of a standard to which we should all aspire. (An additional tribute site can be found on the Kennedy School of Government's web page: Kennedy School tribute to Julius)

The Julius E. Babbitt Fund

To honor Julius’ unparalleled commitment to the Kennedy School alumni community, an annual award has been created in his name: The Julius E. Babbitt Alumni Volunteer Award.This award will be given out on the occasion of the alumni reunion weekend held each spring. All KSG alumni around the world who have exemplified the Julius Babbitt standard of commitment to their fellow alumni are eligible to be nominated for the award.

The Kennedy School has also created The Babbitt Fellowship in recognition of Julius’ long and often difficult path to Harvard. This fellowship will be granted to a worthy KSG student who is in need of financial support in order to attend. Special consideration will be given to minority students who graduated from the Boston Public School system as Julius did.

Before these honors can be bestowed upon deserving members of the KSG community, we need your help. To make the Julius E. Babbitt Alumni Volunteer Award and the Babbitt Fellowship a reality, please make a donation to the Julius Babbitt Fund at the Kennedy School of Government. 100% of your contribution will go towards endowing both of these honoraria worthy of our dear friend and classmate.
Make your check out to “Harvard University” and send it to:

Susan Peterson, Deputy Director of Alumni Programs
Office of External Affairs
John F. Kennedy School of Government
79 JFK Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

THANK YOU to all of those who have already made a contribution, but we have a ways to go, so if you haven’t given yet, please consider making a donation.

You can download a brochure with more information about the fund by clicking here: JEB Fund

For questions about the fund, you can contact Susan at:
susan_peterson@ksg.harvard.edu or at 617-496-7023,or David Rice at
David.Rice@policyconcepts.com or 617-947-6054

Julius’ Photo Compilation Dvd

A special DVD was made in honor of Julius and played during the reception following his memorial service.It includes photos of Julius with friends and family from throughout his life.It is set to music with some of Julius’ favorite songs. If you would like a copy, contact fellow KSG alum and good friend of Julius Karen Kingsbury at: spike39@ix.netcom.com(A big thank you to Karen for putting this together)
To see some of the photos on the DVD,click here

Julius’ Memorial Service

A memorial service was held for Julius at Harvard University’s Memorial Church on May 19th with a reception immediately following at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Kennedy School of Government.If you were unable to attend, you can watch the memorial service by clicking here

and the reception can be viewed here
(note: you need RealPlayer to view these streaming videos)

Photos Of Ksg Class Of 2001 Reunion

The Class of 2001 was by far the largest contingent at the Kennedy School’s annual reunion weekend on May 19th.If you want to share photos from the weekend with your classmates, you can email them to David.Rice@policyconcepts.com and they will be uploaded to this site for viewing or download.

See reunion weekend photos by clicking here

Funeral services for Julius were held in Dorchester, Massachusetts on April 15th. Below is the obituary that was read during the service:

Julius Edwin Babbitt
You are the Light of the World

Today we honor Julius Edwin Babbitt, a child of God who has been called home. A man of deep commitment to family, community, and faith, he was a bright light in the world whose example inspired us all. Although he departs us too soon, Julius has ascended into the house of God without regret or fear, but with peace and the love of all his family and friends in his heart.

Known to his family as Eddie, he was a loving son, brother, and uncle. A pillar of strength who welcomed the responsibilities bestowed upon him. Known to his friends as Julius, he was a humanist and a dedicated servant of those who are less fortunate. An inspirational leader, he challenged everyone he encountered to question whether they were living to their fullest potential.

Julius' personal and professional accomplishments are as profound as they are plenty. From an early age, he was an outspoken leader with wisdom beyond his years. As the first African American president of Boston Latin School's senior class, he was a beacon of inspiration. At Bentley College, Julius was a member of the Falcon Honor Society and founder of the Student Union Society. In 2000, Julius' tireless pursuit of knowledge and personal growth led him to his "city on a hill" - Harvard University - where he achieved a Master's Degree in Public Administration.

Julius embodied "public servant" in his words and deeds. He served in the administrations of four Massachusetts governors and was one of the youngest senior executives in state government when he was promoted to Assistant Secretary of Environmental Affairs. Later, Julius served as an integral member of the Kennedy School of Government's leadership as Director of Alumni Programs.

Julius' commitment to his community led him to create numerous innovative organizations, such as the PeaceAmerica Foundation, which provided resources to community-based violence prevention programs, and the New England Collegiate Service, a college placement service for urban high school students.

To truly honor our Eddie, we are compelled to look beyond his accomplishments and see the most profound impact he leaves behind - that which he has awakened inside each of us and everyone he encountered. In our grief, we are comforted by the warm feeling he has given us when we think of him. His glow sustains us because he is not truly gone, but now shining brightly in the smile that creases our faces when we tell stories of him and the unbreakable connection we have with each other because of our shared love for him.

A gifted communicator, Julius once wrote: "I vow to continue to live, dare to trust, dare to be vulnerable, dare to try, dare to cry, dare to be bold, dare to want to change the world, and dare to say 'I can't do this alone.' And as afraid as I am, if I only try to live each day with intensity, depth, and faith, then I trust I will someday be a Light of the World."

How to honor a man who gave so much to so many? We must carry on with his spirit in our hearts and live with his compassion, zeal, humility, and above all, dedication to make the world a better place - one day, one act, one person at a time. We can and must, in Julius' words, "let our light shine for all to see and bask in our common humanity."

Links to the obituaries that appeared in the Boston Globe and Boston Herald can be found on the Kennedy School's tribute page.