When Summer Comes, Summers Goes

Well, it's official. Harvard University president Larry Summers, much derided for his less-than-politic relationship with the African-American Studies Department women in science academics and administrators in general everyone and their cousin, will do a Marie St. Fleur effective June 30. This comes as the faculty was poised to take its second vote of no-confidence in Summers in less than a year on Feb. 28. The vote of the faculty has no direct effect on who leads Harvard, but the Harvard Corporation, which does make the call, is wisely wary of having too unruly a work force on its hands, or of losing more top scholars.

Naturally, neither Summers's resignation letter nor the Corporation's letter accepting the resignation makes anything more than passing mention of the problems that brought about Summers's demise (Bostonist ran them down, all hyperlink style, here). Instead, both letters take a rosy-eyed stock of Summers's tenure and accomplishments. (Interestingly, at least one of the things that Summers thinks he did right - encouraging the creation of more cross-School doctoral programs - is something Bostonist has heard major complaints about from folks we know in the Harvard community, where many think Summers brought a dearth of actual knowledge and a surfeit of pushiness to a delicate task.)

Former and much-more-beloved University President Derek Bok will take over until a new President is found (Bostonist will start polishing our resume now), and Summers will, according to his letter, take a sabbatical, engage in some reflection, then return to teaching.

Photo: Summers, back when he was Secretary of the Treasury and stayed out of trouble by spending all his time signing dollar bills.