Bok Takes A Stand on Academics

President Derek C. Bok has never publicly admitted to having any favorites among Harvard's nine different faculties.

But the president has always shown a special interest in the Law School, where he once served as dean, and in the Kennedy School of Government, which is considered his principal legacy at Harvard.

So when it came time for Bok to appoint new deans at both institutions, it came as no surprise that the president used the appointments as a chance to make strong statements about the schools' future direction.

That direction, according to Bok, should be academics. Academics first. Academics before ideology. And academics before endowment building.

Although Bok insists he was not trying to send any kind of message with either appointment, this week's selection of Professor of Government Robert D. Putnam as new Kennedy School dean seemed to send a clear signal to faculty members that academics would have to be the top priority at Harvard's youngest professional school.

One of the nation's leading experts on European comparative politics and international relations, Putnam--who has taught in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences since 1979--was chosen over at least three well-qualified professors from within the Kennedy School faculty.

Critics have charged recently that the Kennedy School has stressed numbers-crunching and preprofessionalism over intellectual scholarship, and many saw Putnam's selection over the Kennedy School insiders as a response to such criticisms.

"It's a bold choice," said outgoing Dean Graham T. Allison '62.

"It's a sign they want to give [the Kennedy School] another dose of academics," said Jack Wagner, political science department chair at the University of Michigan.

Politics and Pedagogy

When Bok named Professor of Law Robert C. Clark as Law School dean three weeks ago, he sent a similar message about academics--though the appointment had political, as well as pedagogical, overtones.

Clark, also a reputed scholar, has gained notoriety as an outspoken critic of the Law School's left wing. When the faculty split over several tenure decisions, Clark was a vocal partisan, saying once that the school's radical movement should be "combatted in legal education."

Many left-leaning professors saw Clark's appointment as a sign that Bok wanted to commit the Law School to traditional forms of scholarship. Even conservatives said the selection reflected Bok's disdain for the political battles, and his desire to make the faculty concentrate on academic issues.

Both Putnam and Clark contrast strongly with their predecessors in administrative style. Putnam won praise as Government Department chair for his handling of sensitive issues like minority hiring and sexual harassment, while Allison--credited with the Kennedy's School explosive endowment growth--was often criticized for ignoring ethical considerations.

Clark has pledged to be more moderate as dean, but faculty members believe he will still take an active role in the Law School's ideological battles. On the other hand, outgoing Dean James Vorenberg '49 was seen as a consensus builder, who appealed to Bok when the political turmoil threatened the school's uneasy truce.

`Energy' and `Enthusiasm'

There were other similarities between the two appointments, too. In explaining his decisions, Bok said the "energy" and "enthusiasm" of both appointees figured heavily in his choices. Colleagues said both Putnam and Clark are "hands-on" faculty members who will take the offensive on pressing issues--especially educational ones.

Given the lengthy tenure of most deans--Allison was dean for 12 years and Vorenberg held his post for eight--both selections mark a significant change in the history of the two schools. And if Bok, who is in his 18th year as president, steps down anytime soon, these two appointments will likely be his most important legacy for the next decade.