Mansfield Receives Levenson Award

Thomson Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield Jr. '53, who has been embroiled in recent months in a vigorous campus debate over affirmative action and grade inflation, won the Undergraduate Council's Levenson award for excellence in teaching for the senior faculty Monday night.

Counting his four years as a teaching fellow, said Mansfield, "I've been teaching at Harvard for 35 years now, and nothing like this has ever happened to me," he said. "I'm delighted with this quite unexpected honor."

Robin Gottlieb, preceptor in mathematics, was the recipient of the junior faculty award. The teaching fellow award went to Richard Goodman '92, a TF for Chemistry 20, 30 and 35.

The Undergraduate Council, which sponsors the awards in their 11th year, said that 180 nominations, a record number, had been received in this year's competition.

"We asked people to select professors and TFs who have inspired them in some ways, who have made learning worthwhile...who have made them go to class," said the council's academics committee Co-Chair Sean M. Becker '94.

Becker said the award recipients were decided through a process using recommendations, CUE guide racings and word of mouth.

Aba Dewesar '95 and Brian N. Bitar '95, who introduced Mansfield, attributed much of their own inter- ests in and outlook on political philosophy to his instruction.

They defended Mansfield's tendency to make provocative remarks about controversial issues, quoting Nietzche as saying that philosophy at university tends to disturb nobody "Disturbing nobody--I think that's one thing that can't be said about Harvey Mansfield," said Bitar.

Mansfield dedicated the award to his daughter, Mary, who died in a car accident four years ago just before she was to become an assistant professor at Stanford.

When asked afterwards if receiving the award would influence his decision about accepting a post offered by the University of Chicago, Mansfield said he was sure that it would. However, he denied having already accepted the job. "I'm still deciding," he said.

Jennifer J. Shin '95, who announced that Goodman had own said that 13 students had nominated him and 66 had signed a petition in support of him receiving the award.

Goodman praised the dedication of his students, but also took the opportunity to criticize science teaching at Harvard.

Student Milan G. Chheda '93 praised Gottlieb's willingness to go beyond her job requirements to help others.

"It was unfortunate that I had her my first year, because she set the standard against which I compare the rest of Harvard professors. She really knows how to explain," said Chheda.

Gottlieb's, drawing on her experience working on a farm, said that, in her experience, good students and good horses share several qualities such as stamina and ability. "There's a breadth of experience and diversity that makes teaching here a rewarding experience," she said

They defended Mansfield's tendency to make provocative remarks about controversial issues, quoting Nietzche as saying that philosophy at university tends to disturb nobody "Disturbing nobody--I think that's one thing that can't be said about Harvey Mansfield," said Bitar.

Mansfield dedicated the award to his daughter, Mary, who died in a car accident four years ago just before she was to become an assistant professor at Stanford.

When asked afterwards if receiving the award would influence his decision about accepting a post offered by the University of Chicago, Mansfield said he was sure that it would. However, he denied having already accepted the job. "I'm still deciding," he said.

Jennifer J. Shin '95, who announced that Goodman had own said that 13 students had nominated him and 66 had signed a petition in support of him receiving the award.

Goodman praised the dedication of his students, but also took the opportunity to criticize science teaching at Harvard.

Student Milan G. Chheda '93 praised Gottlieb's willingness to go beyond her job requirements to help others.

"It was unfortunate that I had her my first year, because she set the standard against which I compare the rest of Harvard professors. She really knows how to explain," said Chheda.

Gottlieb's, drawing on her experience working on a farm, said that, in her experience, good students and good horses share several qualities such as stamina and ability. "There's a breadth of experience and diversity that makes teaching here a rewarding experience," she said