# Emmy-winning filmmaker Paul Devlin rejected Harvard’s rejection in 1981

2026-08-07T17:06:25+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

In 1981, Paul Devlin, then a high school student, received a rejection letter from Harvard University. Spotting a grammatical error in it, he wrote back a humorous letter rejecting Harvard's rejection. He copied the formal tone, treating the rejection as an application he had to decline. His mother sent the letter to The New York Times, which published it. More than four decades later, the letter has resurfaced online and even been performed at a public reading. Devlin is now an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker and sports editor.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/in-1981-harvard-rejected-paul-devlin-he-spotted-a-grammatical-error-rejected-the-rejection-and-had-his-response-published-in-the-new-york-times/articleshow/133034384.cms>

Tags: 1981, Harvard rejection, humour, Paul Devlin, viral letter
Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/paul-devlin-rejected-harvards-rejection-letter-in-1981/
License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources.
Cite: https://indianopinion.org/paul-devlin-rejected-harvards-rejection-letter-in-1981/#story-in-brief

Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.