Members of Governing Boards Meet on Campus

The University's governing boards met this weekend at a crucial stage in the presidential search process.

In interviews conducted over the past two months, members of the Board of Overseers said they anticipated their meeting would include a key briefing on the status of the search.

Members of the Harvard Corporation convened in Loeb House along with a few Overseers yesterday for an afternoon of meetings.

Leaving the building in the late afternoon, officials declined to comment on the nature of their discussions or on the progress of the presidential search.

Goodheartedly joking with reporters, they said that the day's proceedings were confidential.

"God bless you, son, I'd love to talk, but this late in the process you're just going to have to wait like everyone else," said search committee member James R. Houghton '58.

After the meeting, some of the Corporation members left for Harvard Square hotels, and others left in chauffeured cars.

Several headed into downtown Boston while others--including search committee member Conrad K. Harper--went directly to the airport with bags in hand.

Although the committee members are sworn to secrecy, the most frequently mentioned shortlist candidates include University of Michigan President Lee C. Bollinger, Harvard Provost Harvey V. Fineberg '67, former Princeton Dean of the Faculty Amy Gutmann '71 and former treasury secretary Lawrence H. Summers.

An announcement on the 27th president of Harvard is expected by the end of the month.

Charles L. Slichter '45, who chaired the search committee that selected current President Neil L. Rudenstine, said that the presidential search committee needs to be coy when dealing with the Overseers.

They must balance the need for confidentiality with a need to inform the Overseers, who vote to confirm the search committee's final recommendation.

Speaking about the December Overseers meeting, at which search chair Robert G. Stone Jr. '45 read the group a list of candidates for the presidency, Slichter said that it was possible that the search committee already had a few candidates in mind for closer consideration.

"I could well imagine that the search committee didn't reveal all to the Overseers at that time," he said. "I don't think the Overseers would consider that to be dishonest."

The Overseers meet on a regular basis throughout the academic year. If a new president is decided before the next meeting of the board, as is likely to be the case, the Overseers will convene a special meeting to ratify the choice.

In the Rudenstine search, the overseers met in New York City in March to confirm the Corporation's selection.

--Staff writers Joshua E. Gewolb, Alex B. Ginsberg, Andrew J. Miller and David M. DeBartolo contributed to the reporting of this article.

--Staff Writer David H. Gellis can be reached at gellis@fas.harvard.edu. Staff Writer Garrett M. Graff can be reached at ggraff@fas.harvard.edu.