Presidential Search
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.
As Ivy League Turns Inward, Harvard Extends Garber Without a Search
For the third time in a row, Harvard skipped a national presidential search, extending President Alan M. Garber ’76’s term indefinitely as political pressure from Washington mounts. The move underscores a growing preference for continuity over uncertainty at elite universities.
Students ‘Not Surprised’ Garber’s Presidency Will Continue
Harvard undergraduates said they were largely unsurprised by the decision to let University President Alan M. Garber ’76 remain in his role indefinitely, citing a desire for continuity as Harvard continues to face pressure from the Trump administration.
Garber Granted An ‘Open-Ended Runway’ With Term Extension
When Harvard elevated Alan M. Garber ’76 from interim president in August 2024, it gave him three years — time to stabilize the University, manage fallout from Claudine Gay’s resignation, and reset the presidency for a successor. Now, Harvard’s governing boards have erased the clock.
‘The Best Hanukkah or Christmas Present’: Faculty Applaud Garber’s Extended Presidency
Harvard faculty broadly applauded the Harvard governing boards’ decision to extend the tenure of University President Alan M. Garber ’76 beyond 2027, praising his steady leadership through a period of political and institutional upheaval — even as some criticized the opaque process behind the decision.
Darren Walker Praises Harvard President Garber in Fourth Annual MLK Lecture
Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, praised Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 on Monday as “a leader who showed up at the right time” during this year’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture.
As HKS Dean, Jeremy Weinstein Courts the Faculty
When Jeremy Weinstein arrived at the Harvard Kennedy School in July 2024, the first thing he did was meet with each member of the school’s nearly 200-person faculty in their office.
Yale’s Outgoing FAS Dean Says She Is Interested in Harvard Presidency
Tamar S. Gendler, Yale University’s outgoing Faculty of Arts and Sciences dean, expressed interest in becoming the next president of Harvard, a sign that she may be a serious contender for the role when the University’s next search launches in 2026.
Pritzker Defends Harvard’s Federal Funding as Threats From Washington Grow
Amid growing calls from Washington to defund elite colleges and universities, Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Penny S. Pritzker ’81 made the case for why the University needs federal funding during an interview with The Crimson last week.
Harvard Corporation Forms Committee to Replace Presidential Search Subcommittee
Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Penny S. Pritzker ’81 announced the establishment of a formal presidential search process committee that will recommend reforms to the 2026 search process during a Monday interview with The Crimson.
Pritzker Defends Naming Gay Harvard President in First Interview Since May 2023
Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Penny S. Pritzker ’81 said she stood by her decision to appoint Claudine Gay as the 30th president of the University during an interview with The Crimson on Monday.
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.
Congressional Battles Will Loom Over Harvard President Alan Garber’s 3-Year Term
The relationship between Cambridge and Washington has been fraught for several years, but it took a sharp turn for the worse after former Harvard President Claudine Gay’s disastrous testimony about campus antisemitism.
Harvard, Peer Universities Rely on Interim Leaders Amid Deluge of Presidential Vacancies
The Harvard Corporation’s decision on Friday to permanently appoint Alan M. Garber ’76 as the school’s 31st president was historic for Harvard, but it also put the University in line with many peer schools that recently made similar moves.
The Interim Tag Gone, Harvard’s Band-Aid Presidency Begins
Alan Garber’s appointment solidifies his tenure as a bridge presidency. He has a mandate from the Corporation to guide Harvard out of the storm and into calmer waters — and three years to do it.
‘Steady, Sensible, Smart’: Faculty Say Garber Can Steer Harvard Through Political Crisis
Harvard faculty members overwhelmingly applauded the Harvard Corporation’s Friday decision to promote Alan M. Garber ’76 from the University’s interim president to its permanent one.
As Harvard President, Garber To Face Key Demand From Local Politicians: More Money
As newly appointed Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 takes the reins of the University full time, he will face one simple demand from local politicians and activists: pay up.
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.
Among Harvard’s Pro-Palestine Groups, A Frosty Reception for Garber’s Appointment
Alan M. Garber ’76 shouldn’t hold his breath waiting to receive a congratulatory card from Harvard’s pro-Palestine activists after the governing boards permanently installed him as the University’s 31st president on Friday.
‘Impeccable’: Higher Education Experts Say Garber’s Academic Record May Spare Him From Scrutiny
Alan M. Garber ’76 comes into the Harvard presidency armed with a stacked resume: three degrees from Harvard and one from Stanford, time on both faculties, and more than a decade serving as Harvard’s second-highest administrator.
‘Disappointed, But Not Surprised’: As Harvard President Garber Loses Interim Title, Students Remain Wary
As Garber continues in the role on a non-interim basis, he will have to contend with a student body whose sentiments range from admiration to apathy to plain disappointment.
Len Blavatnik, Harvard Donors Express Support for Alan Garber’s Permanent Appointment as President
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 will serve as the University’s fundraiser-in-chief for the next three years after the Harvard Corporation stripped his interim tag on Friday.
Alan Garber ’76 is Harvard’s 31st President, Search for Successor to Begin in 2026
Alan M. Garber ’76 will serve as Harvard’s 31st president, the school announced on Friday, rewarding the longtime provost-turned-interim president for his efforts to steer the University through its most tumultuous period in decades.
Corporation Members Consult Prominent Harvard Professors, Move Toward Presidential Search
Members of the Harvard Corporation met on campus with several groups of prominent faculty members last week to discuss the next presidential search process.
Harvard’s Next Presidential Search Will Face New Challenges Amid Attacks on DEI
Like it or not, the selection of Harvard’s 31st president will inevitably be viewed by key stakeholders through the prism of identity politics — and it’s like that more people will be disappointed than pleased.
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