Even though he's no longer personally responsible for all of Harvard's undergraduates, Archie C. Epps III can't seem to get Harvard out of his system.

After 28 years as dean of students--a position he stepped down from last year--Epps still has one of the most recognizable faces on campus.

As he walked through the Faculty Club dining room last Thursday to get to his table, fellow diners welcomed him with a chorus of "Hello!" and "Hi, Dean Epps!"

Easing into his chair underneath the portrait of an 18th century Puritan minister, Epps says the two and a half days he now spends on campus each week keep him connected to the place to which he has devoted much of his adult life.

Epps--a man with a penchant for bow ties and Harvard history--compares the difficult task of loosening his bonds to the College with "stepping out of a painting that you just finished."

But between bites of salmon and long grain rice, Epps makes it clear that this former dean has no intention of losing interest in Harvard.

After three decades at the helm of an office in University Hall, Epps just can't up and leave--if only to make sure his predecessors can find his files.

"I've been telling people where I put everything," he says.