Kearns Named Associate Professor

The Government Department voted Thursday to make Doris H. Kearns, assistant professor in the department, an associate professor.

Although the appointment is subject to Dean Dunlop's approval, rejection of the department's recommendation would be very unusual. Both Kearns and James Q. Wilson, chairman of the Government Department, refused to confirm or discuss the appointment, which takes effect July 1.

Under the provisions of the Dunlop Report on Recruitment and Retention of Faculty, an associate professorship is not a tenured position. The final decision on tenure and promotion to full professor comes after two years, but appointment to associate professorship is considered to be the major hurdle.

Judith N. Shklar, who became professor of Government earlier this year, is the only other woman Faculty member in the department.

Kearns has been assistant professor of Government since 1969. She is an assistant director of the Institute of Politics and an associate of Dunster House, where in 1969 she became the first woman tutor in a Harvard House.

From 1968 until she returned to Harvard with the change of administrations, Kearns was a White House Fellow and aide to President Johnson. Later, she helped Johnson write his memories, published last fall under the title Vantage Point. She is currently completing a scholarly work on the Johnson presidency.