Shots In The Dark: An E-mail from Harvard

Monday, February 12, 2007

An E-mail from Harvard

Harvard historian Timothy McCarthy writes...

Regarding Drew Faust, I honestly think that she's an amazing--the best—choice for the Harvard Presidency at this moment. Remember that, as a scholar, she has redefined the field of Civil War studies. This was a largely male-dominated field when she began her work as a scholar, and she has devoted her distinguished career to understanding how the Civil War--that definitive, transformative, and cataclysmic event in American culture--affected all people who were living in the United States. In other words, scholars had for years understood the Civil War as an event that affected only men (white men), and her impressive scholarship has altered the way we think about that war in such a way as to take into account how women actually experienced the war. Her work has played an indispensable role in producing a sea-change in historical interpretation. Her work has even managed to win over most of the men who once dominated the field. She is a scholar of the highest rank, on a subject of signal importance, and her successful interventions into a male-dominated field--arguably, the most male-dominated field in all of American history—bode well for her ability to make inroads at Harvard.

That said, I want you to rethink your critique of her picture. One of the things that drives me crazy about the "punditry" is the obsession with looks, aesthetics, especially where women are concerned. Drew Gilpin Faust is now the President of the most recognizable, and arguably the most powerful, university in the world. Who cares what she looks like? That's a matter of taste, which is irrelevant in this context. Honestly, she looks friendly, decent, inviting, which is hardly a bad thing, given the past person who occupied this esteemed office. In fact, Drew is friendly, decent, inviting--and this is precisely what will make her a highly effective President of Harvard University.

A telling aside: I was at a fancy cocktail party this past weekend, and the only people who were saying anything negative or skeptical about Faust--all of whom, when pressed, admitted they knew nothing about her (other than that she was a woman)--were white men over the age of 60. Tells you something about how Harvard is changing. Welcome, finally, to the 21st century!

¶ 9:35 AM

Comments:

Tim,

Just for the record, I didn't "critique" her picture in any way critical of her looks. I just suggested that she didn't look entirely presidential in the photo. If you look at Faust's costume (and yes, I choose that word on purpose) for yesterday's press conference, you'll see that she appears to have felt the same way.

But, yes, as every reader of this blog knows, I think that physical image matters when you're in a public position—whether you're Larry Summers or Drew Faust.

# posted by Richard Bradley : February 12, 2007 9:41 AM

Again: Do you think those pearl earrings and the double strand were not a conscious choice? And, Tim, as you know, every choice is political.....

# posted by Richard Bradley : February 12, 2007 9:49 AM

If Tim McCarthy is "a Harvard historian" he needs to go back to school. Drew is an excellent historian but she has not "redefined the field of Civil War studies." Now that she has been made President apparently someone feels it is necessary to engage in this kind of ex post facto hyperbole that is Harvard's stock in trade but it is ridiculous. She is one of many historians who have enlarged understanding of the Civil War in the last two decades and has done some very fine work advancing the lines of inquiry McCarthy identifies. But I am quite sure she herself would never characterize her contributions as solo and singular in the way McCarthy does. The comment reflects just staggering ignorance of the field. Therefore, I hope he isnt teaching it.

# posted by Anonymous : February 12, 2007 10:31 AM

Tim McCarthy isn't a Harvard historian; he's a lecturer in Hist and Lit (although his website spells it "Littature"), roughly the rank of corporal. The single greatest weakness of Richard's book was his reliance on this low-ranking self-promoter for many of his insights into the Larry Summers years (a whole chapter! the life story of Tim). Tim's causes are great; his righteous surge to the microphone for each one of them is highly irritating.

# posted by Anonymous : February 12, 2007 10:54 AM

With regards to critiquing Faust's appearance, one relevant context might be Summers' own appearance. Not to put too fine a point on it, he was often unkempt and widely regarded as something of slob. Now, some of this was no doubt truer when Summers was a younger academic, but even when in Mass Hall, his appearance wasn't always what you'd call presidential. So if Faust's appearance is going to be critiqued, let's think about it in relation to the appearance of other Harvard presidents.

Now, Rudenstine -- that guy always looked dapper...Of course, it didn't make much of a difference; he still wasn't a very good president (in my estimation). Let's hope Faust can do better than Neil and Larry combined.

# posted by Anonymous : February 12, 2007 2:41 PM

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