Harvard Offers Tenured Post To Botanist

The University recently offered a tenured position in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology to Klaus Raschke, a botanist at the University of Gottingen, West Germany.

Otto T. Solbrig, professor of Biology and director of the Grey Herbarium, said yesterday that Raschke has not yet told Harvard whether he will accept the post.

Dean Rosovsky, who will officially receive Raschke's decision, declined comment yesterday.

The Biology department offered Raschke a position in physiological ecology, a new post the Department has tried to fill for several years, Richard A. Howard, Arnold Professor of Botany, said yesterday.

"Raschke's a good man," Howard added. "I hope he decides to come."

Solbrig said that it has become difficult for American faculties to compete with European universities for prominent professors. "Countries like Germany have a strong economy, a strong currency, and a strong university system," he said, adding that "20 years ago, German scientists were chafing at the bit to come to the United States. That's not the case today."