John Manning
John Manning Was Seen as Harvard’s Conservative Signal. Now, He Is Forging His Own Path as Provost.
Harvard Provost John Manning was appointed as a figure who could speak to the University’s critics — but as Washington talks move around him, he has turned inward, using the provostship to reshape hiring and faculty power from inside Massachusetts Hall.
As Strike Deadline Looms, Manning Says Grad Union’s Title IX Demand Could Break Federal Law
Harvard Provost John F. Manning ’82 pushed back Friday against a central demand of the University’s graduate student union, warning that a proposal to require third-party arbitration in Title IX cases could violate federal law.
Ten Stories That Shaped 2025
At Harvard, 2025 opened with a showdown — and never relented. Federal demands threatening the University’s funding and autonomy plunged Harvard into a sustained clash with the Trump administration. The pressure reshaped budgets, shuttered diversity offices, and cast international students’ visa status into doubt. Amid the turmoil, President Alan M. Garber ’76 secured a permanent extension at Harvard's helm. Here, The Crimson looks back at the 10 stories that shaped Harvard — and Cambridge — in 2025.
A Surprise Tenure Denial in Harvard’s Gender Studies Program Leaves Some Faculty Shaken
Durba Mitra’s colleagues thought she was a near-perfect tenure candidate. When her bid was shot down in June, they were left questioning the process.
Provost John Manning Prays for Harvard’s Future at Memorial Church Service
Harvard Provost John F. Manning ’82 said the University still has “much work to do” in a rare public appearance on Friday at Memorial Church, where he discussed his own spiritual development at Harvard.
Campus Unions Ask Harvard To Pledge Worker Protections as Federal Cuts Prompt Layoffs
Harvard’s five largest campus unions urged the University to pledge to a suite of worker protections amid federal attacks in a Monday letter emailed to Harvard’s top officials.
Harvard Paid Claudine Gay $1.3 Million in 2023, Financial Disclosures Show
Former Harvard President Claudine Gay earned more than $1.3 million in 2023 — which spanned the end of her term as Faculty of Arts and Sciences dean and all six months of her short-lived presidency — according to the University’s annual tax disclosures.
At Summit With Donors, Top Administrators Said Harvard Would Pick Its Public Battles in Washington
Harvard Provost John F. Manning ’82 and Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra told alumni donors at a Feb. 28 talk that Harvard would sometimes be willing to take the lead in challenging orders from Washington — but was also content to strategically take the back seat.
Ten Stories That Shaped 2024
At Harvard, 2024 began with an ending — the chaotic close of Claudine Gay’s short-lived presidency. It would not be a quiet year. Pro-Palestine student protesters staged an encampment in Harvard Yard. Congress expanded its investigation into campus antisemitism, issuing threats alongside blistering reports. Amid it all, Alan M. Garber ’76 quietly ascended from the interim presidency to a permanent post at Harvard’s helm. Here, The Crimson looks back at 10 stories that shaped the University, and Cambridge, in 2024.
Garber Announces Advisory Committee for Harvard Law School Dean Search
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 formed a 13-member faculty advisory committee to provide input on the search for Harvard Law School’s next dean, the University announced on Thursday.
Mass. Hall Misses September Target for Harvard Law School Dean Search Launch
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 has yet to announce an advisory committee to help select the next dean of the Harvard Law School, passing his own September deadline for providing an update.
Harvard Will Review Discrimination Policies to Better Protect Academic Freedom
Harvard will review its discrimination, bullying, and harassment policies to better protect academic freedom, following a series of recommendations from the University’s Open Inquiry and Constructive Dialogue working group.
Provost, Placeholder, President: How Alan Garber Won Over the Harvard Corporation
In fall 2023, Alan Garber ’76 was eyeing retirement — not a promotion. But his efforts to guide the University out of crisis and manage the 20-day encampment in Harvard Yard earned him a three-year term as the 31st president of Harvard.
Harvard Law School Is Looking for a New Dean. Here’s What You Need To Know.
As Harvard prepares to choose a new dean of the Law School, HLS faculty expressed support for a wide range of candidates, including interim Dean John C. P. Goldberg. But they all agreed on one thing: the next dean should come from within their own ranks.
John Manning ’82 Will Serve as Harvard’s Next Permanent Provost
John F. Manning ’82 will remain in his role as provost, Harvard announced on Thursday, a move that concludes a monthslong effort to stabilize the University’s top administration.
Inside Alan Garber’s Wild, 7-Month Interim Harvard Presidency
Alan M. Garber ’76’s first semester in Harvard’s top job would have tested even the most battle-hardened university president — and technically, he was not even the real president.
Co-Chairs of Harvard Legacy of Slavery Memorial Committee Slam University in Resignation Letter
The co-chairs of Harvard’s Legacy of Slavery memorial project committee slammed the University in their resignation letter, alleging that their timeline was rushed by administrators.
Universities Nationwide Have Embraced Institutional Neutrality. How Does Harvard’s Report Stack Up?
Harvard released its long-awaited report from its Institutional Voice working group on Tuesday. The Crimson reviewed similar policies at other American universities to understand how Harvard’s report is different.
Harvard Will Refrain From Controversial Statements About Public Policy Issues
After months of grappling with a campus fractured by a polarizing debate over the Israel-Hamas war, Harvard announced on Tuesday that the University and its leadership will refrain from taking official positions on controversial public policy issues.
More Than 180 Harvard Faculty Sign Letter Urging Garber to End Pro-Palestine Encampment
More than 180 Harvard faculty urged interim University President Alan M. Garber ’76 and interim Provost John F. Manning ’82 to end the pro-Palestine encampment in Harvard Yard in an open letter.
Manning Addresses Harvard Yard Encampment, Draws Groans, Laughter From FAS Faculty
Members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences pressed interim Harvard Provost John F. Manning ’82 over the University’s reluctance to negotiate with pro-Palestine student activists, at one point laughing incredulously at his defensive answers, during a Tuesday FAS meeting.
Harvard President Garber, Provost Manning Keep Top Advisers in Staff Reshuffle
Harvard’s leadership crisis sparked a major senior staff reshuffle in Massachusetts Hall, as interim University President Alan M. Garber ’76 and interim Provost John F. Manning ’82 both kept their two most trusted advisers with them while taking on new roles.
Interim Harvard President Alan Garber’s 100 Days of Trial By Fire
In what is perhaps the most important vote of confidence thus far, the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — has not even launched a presidential search to appoint a permanent successor. Either way, Alan M. Garber is not waiting around.
Harvard President Garber Forms Groups to Explore Open Inquiry, Institutional Neutrality
Garber announced the creation of an “Institutional Voice Working Group” and an “Open Inquiry and Constructive Dialogue Working Group” in an email to affiliates Thursday afternoon.
Interim Harvard Provost John Manning ’82 Says He Will Return to HLS. His Colleagues Aren’t So Sure.
Manning, who was appointed on March 1 as the interim chief academic officer, is now at the center of the Harvard leadership sweepstakes that began after the resignation of Claudine Gay. As Garber’s number two and a finalist in the last search, Manning is a major contender for the presidency, which potentially makes his provostship a brief stay in the waiting room before getting the top job.
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