 At Harvard the merit of his service was confirmed by his appointment in 1953 to the senior endowed chair in his department, the William Door Boardman professorship.For the latter 30 years of his career, Deknatel was responsible for the department's courses in modern art, acquiring a powerful reputation as a dynamic and influential teacher.In 1950, Deknatel joined Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art's director James Plaut in selecting the first exhibition in America of the work of the modern Norwegian artist, Edvard Munch.