Tufts Selects Woolf Over Jean Mayer As New President

The trustees of Tufts University Tuesday offered Harry Woolf, provost of Johns Hopkins University, the presidency of Tufts after six months of interviewing candidates, Harry B. Zane, director of Public Information at Tufts, said yesterday.

Strong Background

The trustees selected Woolf because of his strong administrative background, and administrative source said yesterday. Jean Mayer, Professor of Nutrition at Harvard, had been first choice of the Student Interview Committee, but Woolf was the unanimous first choice of both faculty and alumni groups, the source said.

Woolf would not accept the position until he had discussed the move with his wife, who is a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Health Services, the source said.

Similar Problems

Mayer said yesterday he thinks Woolf is a good choice for the position because he has worked successfully in a situation that has many of the same problems as Tufts. Mayer said he will remain at Harvard.

The board vote took place Saturday, February 15, after the search committee narrowed down the original field of 400 candidates to Woolf and Mayer.

If he accepts the post, Woolf will replace retiring president Burton Hallowell.