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In memory of
Leo Kornfeld
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Leo's obituary
His children say that he died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes.
Kornfeld was born to immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York on October 31, 1922, one of three children. In high school he was head of the math club, catching the attention of his faculty advisor, who suggested he pursue a career as an actuary. This led him to the University of Michigan. The first person in his family to go to college, he ultimately earned a BA in Mathematics at the University of Michigan and a BS and MS at The Georgia Institute of Technology. He also participated in special programs at Harvard Business School.
He was still a student at Michigan when World War II broke out, and decided to enlist in the U.S. Navy. He served on the Pacific Command on several ships including the Destroyer USS Samuel Roberts and the Aircraft Carrier USS Barnes. He was later placed at the Pentagon, and after the war, was stationed on the Dry Dock in Agana, Guam along with his young family. After 14 years of service, Kornfeld left the Navy in 1957, having ascended the ranks from Midshipman to Lieutenant Commander. He regarded his time in service as one of the high points of his life, and felt forever indebted to the Navy for supporting his educational pursuits.
His first foray into the civilian workforce was at the consulting firm Cresap, McCormick and Paget, where he ultimately ran the education division as Deputy Commissioner. He also served as Vice President of Citicorp, Pace University, and ADP, as well as President of True Basic, working alongside Dartmouth College President, John Kemeny, as an early adaptor of computer technology.
Kornfeld was determined to ensure that other Americans had the same educational opportunities that he was granted, regardless of their backgrounds and demographics. He was instrumental in the collegiate co-education movement, spearheading the “year-round plan” at Dartmouth College that is still in place today. In 1981, Kornfeld, alongside co-authors Gonnie and William Siegel, published the book How to Beat the High Cost of Learning.
It was 1977 when then Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Joseph Califano, offered Kornfeld an opportunity to change the student loan program as Deputy Commissioner of Education, directing a new agency, the Bureau of Student Financial Assistance. From 1992 through 1997, he returned to the public sector as a Presidential Appointee under the Clinton administration, and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Education. He was responsible for the design and implementation of the National Direct Student Loan program. Kornfeld’s program enabled five million Americans to avoid the same challenges of college costs that he faced as a young man. “Leo was an accomplished man, but his most impressive quality was his profound humanity,” says his friend and former colleague Barmak Nassirian. “I remember him telling me about his childhood and vividly recall how so many of his policy decisions were guided by his empathy and understanding for folks who needed a helping hand.”
His final position was as Managing Director of Exeter Group, a job he reluctantly retired from at age 93.
Leo Kornfeld’s tireless passion for his work was only rivaled by his boundless love for his family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 72 years, Laura O. Kornfeld, as well as his three children, Melanie Grimes, Hank (Harvey) Kornfeld, and Nancy Danielle Rudes; their spouses, Amy Kornfeld and Jordan Rudes; four grandchildren, Julian Grimes, Ben Grimes, Ariana Rudes, and Kayla Rudes, and one great grandchild, Eva Grimes. He had a unique ability to empower the people he loved, to wholeheartedly support their pursuits, even if they were different from his own. His favorite saying was “don’t let the bastards get you down,” and he lived by it, defying many odds in a life that, in his words, exemplified The American Dream.
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