Bollinger candidate for Harvard's top position

By Anna Clark

Daily Staff Reporter

President Bill Clinton didn't make the cut, Vice President Al Gore didn't either, but University president Lee Bollinger did.

A search committee conducting Harvard University's national search for its 27th president narrowed a list of 450 possible candidates down to between 30 and 40, the Harvard Crimson reported. The committee axed Clinton and Gore in the first round of cuts while Bollinger remains on the list of possible candidates for the university's top post.

University spokeswoman Julie Peterson confirmed that Bollinger is a possible nominee, but she emphasized that the search is still in the preliminary stages and Bollinger has not been named a candidate yet.

She added that Bollinger did not actively seek Harvard's attention, they selected him as a potential candidate.

Harvard spokesman Joe Wrenn said he had no comment on either Harvard's presidential search or Bollinger's possible candidacy.

Bollinger refrained from elaborating on the subject.

"Obviously, it's flattering to hear one's name on such a list," Bollinger said in a written statement. "I continue, however, to be very happy in my work here at the University of Michigan."

A list of possible candidates also includes current and former Harvard administrative and faculty members and Harvard alumnae, according to the Crimson article.

The Crimson, which quoted sources "close to the process," reported Harvard has tried to keep the search "in the strictest confidence." While the search committee has been conducting interviews with the possible candidates, the committee typically asked them "about what Harvard needs in a president, without telling them that they were being considered for the job," the sources said.

Peterson said she "wasn't sure" if Harvard had interviewed Bollinger or informed him of their decisions. Harvard's current president, Neil Rudenstine, has held the office since 1991. In his nine years at the position, Rudenstine focused his efforts on encouraging coordination among various schools and colleges and emphasizing undergraduate education, according to the university's Website.