You've received the e-mails from President Larry Bacow, introducing himself to the student body. You've seen his picture in campus newspapers, and you may have seen him walking around campus. In that case, you probably found yourself asking: who's that woman he's with?
Adele Fleet Bacow is Tufts' first lady, and she's learning more about her new community each day. She and President Bacow have been on campus in Gifford House for over a month, though they are still trying to sell their former home in Newton.
"This is our home now, literally, we live here," she said. Over the last month, she's had the chance to "meet really interesting people from all over" but that her role on campus is still largely undefined.
"I'm trying to sort that out, it means different things to different people. I work with Larry to be part of Tufts, to be at his side and represent Tufts," she said. "When there are functions on campus, I'll try to go to those; when there are functions in the house, I try to get involved somewhat to put our personality in it."
Although not a New England native, Fleet Bacow has lived in the area many years. She was born and raised with four brothers and sisters in Jacksonville, Florida, but made a permanent move to Massachusetts in 1969 when she enrolled in Wellesley College. She later received a masters in city planning at MIT.
"I went to school here and never left basically," Fleet Bacow said. "I remember coming to college from the South and really falling in love with Boston."
She also fell in love with "Larry" when the two met after she graduated from MIT, through mutual friends. "My roommate was going out with his roommate at the time," Bacow said.
And while Boston and MIT have played a major role in both Bacows' lives, they are also familiar with the Medford/Somerville area. The Bacows lived for a short time in Somerville, where their sons Jay and Kenny were born. Jay is a senior at MIT and Kenny a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania as part of the Wharton program.
Fleet Bacow is a city planner by training and has her own consulting firm, Community Partners Consultants Incorporated. The firm specializes in non-profit community organizations and public agencies in community economic development, planning, and arts. She works full-time and works out of her office on the third floor of Gifford House, which is often used as "a place of welcome" for Tufts' distinguished guests.
The house underwent major renovations in 1992, funded by Trustee Emeritus Nelson S. Gifford. At that time, a solarium and patio were added to allow 80-100 people to dine at one time.
The Bacows have added their own personal touches to the house, including a grand piano and pieces of art, some of which are on loan from the Tufts art gallery.
Fleet Bacow does not plan to study at the university, unlike Nancy DiBaggio, the former first lady of Tufts. But she does plan on continuing to attend university events with her husband while taking advantage of Tufts' theater, art gallery, and lectures.
Despite all her obligations, Fleet Bacow still has time for hobbies. She has been taking piano lessons for the past 14 years, is involved in social Temple Emanuel in Newton, and is also a member of a book club in Newton. The club, which she participated in for 11 years, wrote their own book, "The Book Club Dessert Book," which explores book clubs, how to start them, and dessert recipes. It was sold through friends and through a Newton bookshop and was featured in the Boston Globe.
Both Bacows are vegetarians, and the first lady plans to check out the vegetarian selection in Dewick. She also enjoys nearby restaurants, such as Rudy's in Teele Square - where her and Larry frequented while living in Somerville - and Diva and Red Bones in Davis Square.
As for her husband, Fleet Bacow says that Larry "loves the students."
"He is the college president - that is his role. But at his core, he is an academic. He doesn't want to be far removed from the students and teaching," she said. The president has said he plans to teach a class next year.
