Letter to the Editor

To the editor:

I write to respond to recent assertions in the article "Harvard Should Rethink Being Boston Olympic Bid Booster" (February 19, 2015) about Harvard’s position with regard to the Boston 2024 Olympics.

As members of the Boston/Cambridge community, we were part of the preliminary conversations regarding the possible use of certain sites across the region for the 2024 Olympics. And we were briefed on some of the high-level initial concepts being discussed by organizers. However, no Harvard official saw the official bid documents before they were made generally public. Nor have we made any decisions or given any commitments regarding the possible use of any specific venues.

As we move into the first meaningful phase of discussion, President Faust made clear several weeks ago that, while we are open to discussing ways in which our involvement might contribute to this effort, any participation by Harvard must remain aligned with our academic mission and long-term planning goals. No Harvard facilities, institutional funds or fundraising efforts will be diverted away from those goals for purposes related to the Olympics. ​

It is for the region and its elected leaders to decide if the Olympics will or will not be beneficial to Boston. If that question is decided in the affirmative, we will play our part as good neighbors and strong supporters of the communities we inhabit. But we can and will do so only in ways that do not compromise our institutional priorities.

Jeff Neal is a spokesperson for Harvard University.