MIT President Releases Decision To Retire in 1980

Jerome B. Wiesner, the 13th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), recently announced he will retire on June 30, 1980, after eight years in office.

MIT presidents usually retire at age 65, Robert Byers, director of the MIT News Office, said yesterday. "The fact that President Wiesner is retiring is no news to any of us here at MIT," Byers said.

A search committee, consisting of eight members of the MIT corporation, will "certainly select" a new president before Wiesner's retirement, Byers said. No faculty, administrators, or students are on the search committee, Byers added.

Editors of the MIT student newspaper, The Tech, said they do not expect a major reaction to the lack of student input into the selection of the new president.

An increased emphasis on the MIT department of humanities characterizes Wiesner's presidency, Bruce Mavelish, dean of humanities at MIT, said yesterday.