At Harvard, It's Down to the Wire The Crimson reports that members of Harvard's presidential search committee met at Loeb House yesterday, suggesting that the presidential search is nearing its end point.

In their usual obstructionist way, the committee members would tell the Crimson nothing. There are plenty of things they could say without compromising the process—"the search is going well, and we feel we're well on the way to choosing Harvard's next president, and we appreciate the widespread interest in Harvard's future"—but of course they act like commanders at Guantanamo Bay. "You can't handle the truth!"

There's Jamie Houghton looking like James Jesus Angleton saying, "I don't talk about meetings. Meetings are private." When, in fact, he could say, "We had a meeting to talk about normal Harvard business, including the search for the next president, but we're not ready to say anything about that yet, and we'll let you know just as soon as we are."

Same lack of content, but a totally different tone.

Silly Corporation. When will you ever get it?

The Crimson does get this, however:

But in recent days, search committee members have expressed enthusiasm about the candidacies of biochemist and Nobel laureate Thomas R. Cech and Radcliffe Institute Dean Drew Gilpin Faust, according to two individuals familiar with the group’s activities. Both sources added that other candidates likely remain in the running and may be included in final-round interviews.

Meantime, Steve Hyman looks like he's out...

The individuals also said they expect Provost Steven E. Hyman to remain on the search committee’s list of candidates until the end, even though they both said that Hyman’s placement on the list is a courtesy extended in recognition of his half-decade as the University’s number-two administrator—not necessarily an indication of serious consideration.

...while Elena Kagan is still dogged by her Summers' connection.

Law School Dean Elena Kagan’s candidacy may hinge upon her ability to convince search committee members that her leadership style is dramatically different from that of Lawrence H. Summers. Kagan has been praised for her consensus-building successes at the Law School, most notably the unanimous approval of the school’s curricular overhaul this past fall. But she was appointed to her present post by Summers, who appeared to retain the support of many Law School faculty members through the final days of his presidency.

That first sentence isn't entirely fair—Kagan's leadership style is clearly very different from Summers'. I don't think there's anyone who would say she hasn't been a fine dean at the law school. What Kagan has to prove is that she wouldn't grant Summers' back-door access to Mass Hall—and she has to prove that not just to the search committee, but also—and this is probably harder—to the faculty.

A final point: Cech, Faust, Hyman as a courtesy, and Kagan with baggage. Other than the inclusion of Cech, we knew all this six months ago....

(No knock on the Crimson, just a point about the limits of the search process.)

I'm sorry to see David Oxtoby not in the final running—he struck me as an intriguing dark horse. And he had the Harvard credentials, the lack of which may cost Cech the presidency.




One of these men worked for a public
institution. The other is the head of
the Harvard Corporation.
  ¶ 10:42 AM