Bowdoin College outsmarts Harvard when it comes to the common good | Column

Brunswick Writer Uses Harvard Business School Experience to Champion Bowdoin’s Common‑Good Mission

A local column in the Times Record has sparked debate among Brunswick residents about the purpose of business education and the values of two rival institutions. David Treadwell, a longtime Bowdoin supporter and Brunswick resident, responded to a New York Times article that criticized modern business schools for prioritizing profit over social responsibility.

Treadwell’s piece, titled “Just a Little Old,” appeared in the Times Record after Christopher Marquis, a professor who has taught at Harvard, Cornell, and Cambridge for more than twenty years, published a NYT opinion article titled “I Teach at a Business School. It’s Time to Shut Them Down.” Marquis argues that many students enroll in business programs with altruistic goals, only to shift toward careers in consulting, finance, or corporate strategy. He claims that business schools emphasize deal‑making, simplification, and optimization, and that such training has influenced leaders like former President Donald Trump—who earned his undergraduate degree at Wharton—to treat public policy as a business transaction.

Treadwell, who earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1967, takes a different view. He notes that many of his classmates went on to consulting, finance, or consumer product management, but he chose a different path. “I was a maverick, opting to go into advertising in New York City during the ‘Mad Men’ era,” he writes. “Business is a pig; I’m just a different part of the pig,” he added in a tongue‑in‑cheek retort that has become a signature line in his columns.

Treadwell explains that his decision to attend Harvard was not born of ambition or idealism but of circumstance. “I wanted to avoid the draft; I didn’t know what else to do; and, well, Harvard is Harvard,” he says. He acknowledges that his choice was a mistake and that he might have benefited from a Peace Corps assignment instead. “I probably should have gone into the Peace Corps,” he confesses.

After a year working for Grey Advertising in New York, Treadwell returned to his home state. He took a 25 % pay cut to work in Bowdoin College’s admissions office, a move he describes as “infinitely more rewarding” despite the smaller salary. He was there during a period of significant change at the college, when Bowdoin began making SAT scores optional, launched efforts to diversify its student body, and admitted women for the first time.

In 2002, after a career in admissions and later in marketing communications for nonprofits, Treadwell returned to Brunswick and observed Bowdoin’s growing emphasis on the common good. The college had begun awarding a Common Good Award each year to an outstanding graduate, conferring honorary degrees on individuals who made a positive difference in the world, and establishing a Common Good Grant program that encourages students to raise funds for local nonprofits.

“Twelve years later, Bowdoin’s philosophy is part of the reason why so many students choose to enroll,” he says. He praises the cooperative culture at Bowdoin, describing it as a place where students cheer each other’s successes rather than compete aggressively.

Treadwell’s loyalty to Bowdoin is evident. He attends reunions, sporting events, and lectures on a regular basis and wears Bowdoin apparel with pride. He admits, humorously, that he has never given to Harvard Business School or attended a Harvard reunion. He does, however, note an incident that almost altered his stance: a misdelivered Harvard fleece that arrived in an M.I.T. jacket, which he eventually exchanged for a proper Harvard fleece. “I only wear this fleece around the house or if we are on an outdoor excursion far away from Brunswick and Bowdoin,” he jokes.

“All things considered, I’ll take Bowdoin and its common‑good philosophy over Harvard and its elite reputation any day of the week,” he concludes.

Treadwell invites readers to share their thoughts and suggestions for future columns at the Times Record’s email address. His piece has already generated discussion among local residents, some of whom agree with his praise of Bowdoin’s values, while others feel that business schools still play a vital role in preparing graduates for a complex global economy.

The column, which appears in the Times Record’s “Just a Little Old” series, underscores a broader conversation about the role of higher education institutions in shaping future leaders and the importance of aligning academic training with societal well‑being.