Harvard President Search Turns Up Familiar Faces

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and the dean of Harvard Law School have something in common: they are both speculative candidates to become president of Harvard University.

Following the resignation of Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers on Feb. 21, the search is on for his replacement. Harvard officials have yet to disclose the names of potential candidates.

Alan J. Stone, vice president for Government, Community and Public Affairs at Harvard, said that "searches are difficult enough to do without them being done in the media."

If the last presidential selection is any indication, presidents of other major universities and current Harvard deans may be leading contenders for the job. In 2001, Summers was chosen over University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann, Dean of the Harvard Medical School Joseph B. Martin, the then-Dean of the Harvard Business School, Kim B. Clark, and Columbia's own President Lee Bollinger, who was president at the University of Michigan at the time. All of these candidates were short-listed by the search committee.

In light of Summers' controversial comments about women in science last year, some have called for the appointment of a female candidate. "It would be nice to see a woman in such a prestigious position because you don't see it very often," said Jessie Russell, a student of Harvard College.

The Harvard Crimson reported earlier this year that two women, Radcliffe Institute Dean Drew Faust and Dean of the Harvard Law School Elena Kagan, "could be logical candidates for the job." There has also been widespread speculation in several media outlets that Clinton is among those being considered for the top job.

Some students have said that Harvard needs to make amends following Summers' controversial reign. In March 2005, members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard passed a motion signifying a "lack of confidence" in Summers' leadership.

"They should elect someone with a good public image, someone well-liked across the board," Rachel Mak, another student of Harvard College, said.

Unlike past presidential selections, Harvard has been actively seeking student input for the selection process, following in the footsteps of fellow Ivy League schools, including Columbia and Princeton. A student advisory board to the presidential search committee was created this year and has representatives from Harvard College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and each of Harvard's eight professional schools.

Matthew Murray, the chair of the Student Advisory Board to the president search committee, explained that representatives from the board have met with students at each of Harvard's schools, including student government leaders, in order to gain insight into "what characteristics they think would be valuable in the next president, what strengths and problems they see at their schools, and what strengths and challenges of Harvard as a whole they think the next president should focus on."

Murray, who is a joint-degree student at the Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School, said he believes that "this is an opportunity for students and the administration to learn about how thoughtful student input can help improve the governance of the university."

Derek C. Bok, who served as Harvard's president from 1971 to 1991, has acted as interim chief since Summers stepped down at the end of the 2005-2006 academic year.