Jay Owen Light

Jay Owen Light (October 3, 1941 – October 15, 2022) was an American academic administrator and corporate director. He served as the ninth dean of the Harvard Business School.

Early life Light was born in Lorain, Ohio, on October 3, 1941. His father, James, worked as a supervisor at a steel plant; his mother, Marian Leisey, was a high school teacher. Light grew up in a house on Lake Erie and attended Lorain High School in his hometown. He then worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he headed a space-mission analysis team. He later undertook doctoral studies at Harvard Business School's (HBS) joint program in decision and control theory, and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in 1970.

Light became interim dean of HBS on August 1, 2005. He was appointed by Lawrence Summers, President of Harvard University, to the post on a full-time basis eight months later on April 24, despite being a dark horse candidate. Light served as HBS dean until July 1, 2010, when he was succeeded by Nitin Nohria.

After retiring as dean, Light was elected to the board of directors of the Hospital Corporation of America in March 2011. He also served on the boards of The Blackstone Group, and Partners HealthCare.

Personal life Light was married to Judith Hodges until his death. They were introduced by her roommate in 1970. Together, they had two children. He resided in South Dartmouth and Jupiter Island, Florida, during his later years.

Light died on October 15, 2022, at his home in South Dartmouth. He was 81, and suffered from leukemia prior to his death.