Word: alum
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...name than Iona? That’s three syllables in four letters! And the Gaels? More like the Gails, if you know what I mean. Singer/songwriter Don McLean, author of the plaintive classic “American Pie,” is the college’s most famous alum...
...Fellows of Harvard College have only selected one non-alumnus to be Harvard’s president. The year was 1654, and Harvard was 18 years young, having held its first commencement just 12 years before. But since University of Cambridge alum Charles Chauncy died in office in 1672, Harvard has been led by men holding Harvard degrees for a staggering 334 consecutive years...
...tradition of an alum of one of Harvard’s schools governing the University, however, has persisted for a reason. Although there are many qualified candidates who don’t hold Harvard degrees, alums are better suited to lead the University, particularly given the complex situation Harvard finds itself in today. To that end, the Presidential Search Committee should make an effort to continue the tradition of selecting a Harvard man or woman—likely an alum, but possibly a professor—to lead the University...
...this will take a tremendous amount of vision, another area in which an alum or professor would have an additional edge. Someone who understands what Harvard has been in the past and how it got to where it is today will have a better idea of what Harvard needs for the future. They will also be well versed in the bold, trend-setting thinking that has dominated Harvard’s history...
That’s not to say that the Search Committee should knock all outsiders completely out of the race. Someone with enough potential could overcome these obstacles given enough time. But an insider—either an alum or a professor—has a big advantage. So don’t be surprised if, upon being introduced to the University, our new president’s first words are “it’s great to be back...