Expert on Medieval Islam To Become Tenured Prof.

A Harvard senior lecturer who combines a broad knowledge of comparative religion with expertise in the area of medieval Islam will cop a lifetime post in the Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department, sources said yesterday.

The appointment of William A. Graham Jr. is expected to receive rubber-stamp approval from Harvard's seven-man governing Corporation tomorrow.

During his years at Harvard, the former Guggenheim Fellow has held several administrative posts, including head of the Core Curriculum Foreign Cultures subcommittee. He has also served on a Center for Middle Eastern Studies steering group.

The Islam scholar has been mentioned as a possible successor to Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies Nadav Safran as head of the center. Following an investigation this winter into his use of CIA grants, Safran resigned the post effective July 1.

But, according to sources, Graham has said the University has not approached him about taking over the center. Graham yesterday confirmed his tenure offer but declined further comment until that offer is finalized.

"Even before Professor Safran became director, there was talk of Graham's becoming director," said Ibrahim A. Sabra, a former member of the center's executive committee, which was disbanded following the Safran investigation.

Graham's most recent book, which will be published soon by the Cambridge University Press, is a study of scripture. "He has a rare combination of focused research in Islamic culture and a broad understanding of religious issues," said Professor of Chinese History and Philosophy Wei-Ming Tu.

"It's remarkable how much he knows about my own field," said Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Steven Ozment, whose academic field is the Renaissance and Reformation. Ozment collaborated with Graham on what Tu termed "a general book on world civilization." Graham wrote chapters on India, the Near East and Africa, Ozment said.

Last year, Graham taught the popular course, Foreign Cultures 28, "The Religion and Culture of Islam."

A former Winthrop House senior tutor, Graham gets high marks for his teaching from former students, who praise him for what they call his clear lecturing style and interest in undergraduates.

"He's one of the best teachers I've had here," said Daniel Klingensmith '87. Klingensmith said Graham's own lectures maintained the coherence of the course, which often has guest lecturers.

Graham holds a summa cum laude degree from the University of North Carolina and a Ph.D. from Harvard.