The Crimson Scoops the Times
A day after the Times runs a piece about Harvard potentially choosing a female president—illustrated with photographs of Ruth Simmons and Amy Gutmann—the Crimson makes the paper look silly.
Javier Hernandez and Daniel Shuker report that the presidential search committee has narrowed its choices to the following: John Etchemendy, Drew Faust, Elena Kagan, and Alison Richard. (The reporters qualify that group by adding that "a dark horse candidate could still yet [sic] emerge.")
First off, what to make of the fact that Etchemendy has expressed his lack of interest in the job? You can parse his words—see item below—for wiggle room, but when he calls his current position "the best job in higher education," that's pretty tough to back away from.
Alison Richard, by contrast, has said that she remains "deeply committed" to the vice-chancellorship of Cambridge, but that's a nothing statement.
In any case, according to the Crimson, "sources close to the committee have said that the group is not paying attention to candidates' publicly stated interest or disinterest in the presidency.
"
Here's another interesting tidbit:
While many informed observers have long considered Kagan a leading candidate for the presidency, the two sources said that some members of the committee currently view her as a relatively weaker contender compared with other candidates.
One wonders if the search committee has said to Kagan, "You're sitting in your office and the phone rings. It's Larry Summers, the man who appointed you the first female dean of the Harvard Law School, your old colleague from the Clinton administration. Summers wants a favor. What do you do?"
The choice of anyone other than Kagan would surely diminish Larry Summers' influence in Mass Hall come September, when he returns to 02138...
My picks, in order of likelihood:
1) Drew Faust
2) Alison Richard (a very close second...but does she have Harvard ties? Don't think so.)
3) Elena Kagan
4) John Etchemendy
