Selections May Signal More Changes

The announcement yesterday of the first three members of President-designate Bok's fledgling administration may signal the beginning of a full round of appointments and changes within the Harvard hierarchy.

Not only does Bok have at least two vice-presidencies yet to fill, but he must also complete his staff of administrative assistants (of which there are exactly two at present). Beyond this, Bok must decide how to handle the resignation of the University's deans as required by protocol whenever a new President takes office.

At the head of this list is Ernest R. May, dean of the College, who has been offered the directorship of the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Although May technically is responsible to Dean Dunlop-not to Bok directly-it is Bok who will ultimately influence the decision as to whether May stays on as dean.

Yesterday, May said he would "like to accept the post" at the Institute, but he emphasized that he will remain dean until "Dean Dunlop names a new dean of the College to replace me."

May categorically dismissed the possibility of being both director of the Institute and dean at the same time. He indicated he will be dean as long as Dunlop (or Bok) desires, but he made no secret about his preference for the Institute job which is being held for him at least on an interim basis.

Dunlop's ultimate decision about the timing of May's departure-which seems inevitable-is unclear now, but Administration sources say Bok wants May to ride out the first term of his administration.

That assignment would be mostly misery for May, who has weathered two stormy years as dean and wants out as soon as possible. The position at the Institute (which is synonymous with a return to academic life) is the ideal alternative.

It is anyone's guess who a likely successor to May. would be; considering Bok's hesitancy to make any changes in deanships before he "gets to know personalities within the University," the absence of an heir apparent could be one reason May will have to endure a few more months as dean.

A second sore spot among deans is at the troubled Graduate School of Design (GSD), where a Pusey man-Maurice D. Kilbridge-has come under fire from several departments of the school and is being pressed to justify his continuing on as dean.

The situation is so tense that a committee of Overseers has reportedly suggested that a search for a new dean be begun immediately.

While it is obvious that Bok already has more than his share of problems, his appointments yesterday indicate he plans to meet these problems with experienced-and relatively youthful-aides.

One interesting aside to the appointments-not wholly unrelated to the emergence of the Bok administration-is Dean Dunlop's selection by President Pusey yesterday as Lamont University Professor succeeding Sumner Slichter and Edward S. Mason.

Wide and Free

As one of six University Professors, Dunlop-perhaps Bok's closest friend and adviser on the Faculty-is free to work and teach in any part of the University.

Dunlop is widely recognized as the most powerful man on the Faculty, and first as acting dean and later as dean of the Faculty, he has wielded a heavy administrative hand during periods of student unrest and faculty dissension.

Dunlop is now being mentioned as a candidate for provost, should Bok decide finally that he wants one. One possibility which yesterday's appointment hints at is that Dunlop-given the freedom of a University Professorship to extend his influence to other faculties-may be the successor to Archibald Cox '34, professor of Law, as University troubleshooter.

At the same time, the Lamont Professorship could be another consolution prize-in addition to a possible honorary doctoral degree today-in the Presidential sweepstakes.

Probably, though, Dunlep's appointment is a reward for 21 years of service to Pusey and Harvard. He himself could be contemplating an exit from the Administration, and at Harvard there is no better way to exit than to land a University Professorship.