Harvard W. Morehead: An Appreciation

by Jim Mathews / President & CEO

In my very first phone call with Harvard around 2017 or so, he cheerfully offered to come work in the office at our front desk...for free. Really! From that point forward, he was like a regular employee, commuting back and forth, taking his place at the front desk, fielding phone calls from members and the general public alike – the “rail-curious” who called us looking for basic info or just wanting to talk about trains.

And Harvard could definitely talk about trains!

Today, as you read this, Harvard’s family and friends are gathering in suburban Washington, DC, to remember his life. We lost Harvard in March of this year to a stroke, and there’s a hole in our staff and our hearts that’s still open.

You probably knew Harvard as the friendly voice who helped with membership issues. And if you were used to calling the office and hearing his voice, you probably noticed his absence yourself a while ago.

But here’s what you and a lot of other people might not know – he was much more than just a volunteer answering our phone. Harvard was a truly steady, principled, and thoughtful voice for better trains and safer, more reliable service, and a better community in areas far beyond rail. Of course, he represented Marylanders on Rail Passengers’ national Council of Representatives, as well as serving as Vice Chair for the Maryland organization. But apart from those formal roles, he was well known – or at least his name was well-known – to Washington-area readers of the Washington Post and other papers, signed “Harvard Morehead, Gaithersburg,” offering thoughtful letters on public policy and civic life.

He brought that same care and civility to his rail advocacy.

Whether working with our members to solve problems with membership lapses, the self-service tools on our website, or patiently explaining to angry callers that we are not Amtrak and can’t refund a fare, Harvard was calm, professional, even cheerful. And more often than not, those conversations turned into memberships, renewals, or donations. A bonus.

He took part in our weekly staff meetings, helped us with preparing large-volume mailings in the office, and clawed back thousands of dollars in lapsed memberships by just calling people and talking about trains. He was very much a full-time employee. And he didn’t get paid a dime.

Harvard was genuinely well loved by the staff; all of us saw him as part of the family. He was devastated when his declining health kept him off our phones and out of our office. We were, too. I had hoped to recognize him for his service with an award during our 2023 Fall meeting in Meridian, Miss., but he became too ill to make the trip.

“When I became a new chair of Rail Passengers and was feeling a bit insecure, Harvard gave me a pep talk and offered his services as a mentor and supporter,” recalled Rail Passengers Association Chair Meredith Richards.

This month we’re unveiling an extensive volunteer-staffing initiative with the objective of filling some 23 volunteer positions across the organization in functions ranging from fundraising to PR and technology. One of the pillars of that new volunteer program will be an annual award for the best and most-dedicated volunteer. We’ll call it the Harvard W. Morehead Volunteer Staff Award. It won’t make up for the presentation we could not make in 2023. But I think it’s a fitting tribute to a truly generous and gentle soul who made all of us better.