Harvey Cox combines theology with imagination as he again demonstrated yesterday in Harvard Yard. There, to mark his retirement, he shared the spotlight with a cow imported for the occasion. It may have been the first time some of the highly urbanized Harvard students standing nearby had ever seen such an animal.

The event featured several speeches and a parade from the Yard to the Divinity School. In his long career Harvey has taught in both the divinity faculty and in Arts and Sciences.The speeches demonstrated yet again how academics do not believe in speaking short. Rather, they are skilled in reducing the impact of their talk by going long instead. On an often chilly late afternoon and early evening, that fact proved difficult for this currently gimpy-legged friend of Harvey.

At considerable length we later heard the virutes of cows extolled by a professor learned in Hinduism and familiar with these animals in India. She found virtue in all the parts and  products of the cow, even its dung. Later on, the cow that was the center of attention stood patiently as she was milked. With udder fascination I watched the manipulation that produced this fine liquid.

A final act came when Soft Touch, the band in which Harvey has regularly played the saxophone struck up the Harvard marching song.

The whole event served as a model of how to celebrate the transit into retirement. I doubt anyone knows better than Harvey how to enter upon this new phase of life. He radiated a relaxed joy yesterday as his large legion of friends showed him affection and admiration. I will remember this unique circus.