Summers Says He Backs Kirby

University President Lawrence H. Summers reaffirmed his “confidence and support” for Dean of the Faculty William C. Kirby in a letter distributed to professors yesterday, though he stopped short of denying reports that he planned to fire Kirby last fall.

Summers’ letter followed a statement submitted to the Harvard Corporation on Tuesday by several prominent faculty members. In that statement, the professors criticized two anonymous sources who had told The Crimson last week that Summers had planned to fire Kirby. The professors also wrote that if the sources’ reports were accurate, Summers’ decision to tell colleagues of his dissatisfaction with Kirby was “highly improper” and set a “deplorable example” for students.

In his response, Summers did not address criticism of his alleged behavior, focusing instead on the sources who spoke to The Crimson.

“I share your dismay at the irresponsible and misguided speculation reported in last Thursday’s Crimson regarding my relationship with Dean Kirby,” Summers wrote. “I agree that these kinds of rumors are unhelpful and counterproductive as we work to achieve our common goals.”

“I have been very much encouraged by the progress [Kirby] and the faculty as a whole have made recently in curricular reform and other matters, and I look forward to our continued work together,” Summers wrote.

On Tuesday, Summers released his letter to the professors who signed the statement critical of him, before sending it to the entire Faculty yesterday. Summers declined to release the letter publicly, though a copy of it was obtained by The Crimson last night.

The exchange of letters came after The Crimson first reported last Thursday that Summers told professors and Corporation members last fall that he intended to fire Kirby. The Crimson cited two sources, one a professor close to the central administration, and the other an individual in regular contact with members of the Corporation. According to the sources, the plan was put on indefinite hold after Summers’ conflict with the Faculty last spring.

Neither the President’s office nor Kirby’s office has confirmed or denied their account.

The Faculty Council—the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ (FAS) 18-member governing body—discussed Summers’ letter at its meeting yesterday.

Council member and Emery Professor of Chemistry Eric N. Jacobsen said that the Council expressed a desire to move beyond talk of Kirby’s future.

“[There] was a hope on the Council’s part that those rumors might be put to rest. Those rumors are interfering with the work of the University,” said Jacobsen.

Kirby, who chairs the Council, did not give any input into the discussion of the letter because of his close involvement with the situation, according to Council member and Assistant Professor of Visual and Environmental Studies and of English and American Literature and Language J.D. Conner.

Classics Department Chair Richard F. Thomas said he expected that Summers’ letter would return the Faculty’s attention to pressing issues like the ongoing Curricular Review.

“I think it is a good letter,” said Thomas, who is a member of the Council, last night. “It will get things moving past the business of last week and onto other important business.”

At its meeting yesterday the Faculty Council also discussed the progression of Allston planning, and insisted that FAS must continue to take an active role as planning continues.

“There was a repeated affirmation that people in the FAS need to stay involved in this,” Conner said.

The Council also approved the courses for next year’s Summer School. Those courses will be officially voted on by the full Faculty at its meeting next Tuesday.

—Sara E. Polsky contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Evan H. Jacobs can be reached at ehjacobs@fas.harvard.edu.