A Jumbo Legacy Continues at the School of Engineering
Dean Kyongbum Lee with Jackie Katz, Debra Bloom, J85, A14P, and Karen Rubin, J83, AG22P, standing in front of a plaque honoring Jane and Monte Haymon.
Jane, J60, and Monte Haymon, E59, met as Tufts students when Jane was studying biology and Monte chemical engineering. Their undergraduate years on the Medford campus sparked a nearly 60-year love story and a lifetime commitment to Tufts. That love for their alma mater was clearly present in the 16 members of the extended Haymon family—including several Jumbos—who helped dedicate the Monte and Jane Haymon Boardroom last year. The state-of-the-art conference room is on the second floor of Robinson Hall in the School of Engineering and was made possible by the generosity of the Haymon family.
“My parents were most proud of the legacy they left behind,” said Debra Bloom, J85, A14P, speaking at the dedication ceremony. Bloom, along with her sisters Karen Rubin, J83, AG22P, and Jackie Katz, was raised with the understanding that education was paramount and that Tufts University was a special place.
After graduating, Monte and Jane Haymon maintained a lasting connection to Tufts for the rest of their lives, generously serving the Jumbo community until Monte’s death in 2018 and Jane’s in 2024. For 28 years, Monte served on the School of Engineering Board of Advisors, chairing it for 11 of those years. He was also a member of the Tufts University Board of Trustees for a decade. Together, the couple conducted admissions interviews, worked on Tufts reunion committees, and generously established the Monte and Jane Haymon Family Endowed Scholarship Fund to help Tufts undergraduate students with financial need. The couple’s daughters fondly recalled their parents’ personal support, too, with memories of phone calls and letters of encouragement during their college days.
The boardroom dedication ceremony recognized the Haymons’ outstanding leadership and wisdom and their love for each other, their family, and Tufts. In addition to Debra Bloom’s remarks on behalf of the Haymon family, Kyongbum Lee, dean of the School of Engineering and Karol Family Professor, and Steve Goldstein, E76, current chair of the Engineering Board of Advisors, also spoke, with Goldstein warmly noting the mentorship and friendship he received from the Haymons.
“We always feel my parents’ presence while walking this beautiful campus on a hill,” said Bloom. “We hope and plan to maintain the Tufts connection for generations to come.”