B.U. President Silber Mulls Gubenatorial Bid

Boston University President John R. Silber, long a controversial figure in the world of higher education, is considering running for Massachusetts governor next fall, state political leaders said this week.

Although Silber has not yet declared his candidacy, several Democratic leaders in the State House said the B.U. president has contacted them about the possibility of a gubernatorial bid.

State Rep. Suzanne M. Bump (D-Braintree) said that Silber had called her and asked her opinion of his chances for winning the Democratic primary. Bump, a supporter of former Attorney General Francis X. Belotti, said she was not impressed by Silber's style, which she described as "philosophically rigid" and "dictatorial."

"I don't think that John Silber is the kind of leader people will be looking to," she said.

State Rep. Michael W. Morrissey (D-Quincy), another Bellotti supporter, said that he had also spoken with Silber, and that the B.U. president was merely "testing the political waters."

A B.U. spokesperson declined to comment on Silber's political aspirations.

During his 18 years as president, Silber has been one of the most controversial figures in the realm of higher education, sometimes seen as a visionary, sometimes as a ruthless autocrat.

He gained nationwide attention last March with a plan to have B.U. take over the school system in Chelsea, the first time in the U.S. that a private educational institution has administered a public school system. Now in its first year of operation, the plan has been sharply criticized by teachers and area residents.

His policies on campus have been no less controversial. Last fall, he instituteda strict set of parietal rules that severelylimited the rights of students to have overnightvisitors in their dormitories.

"Does he rule with an iron hand? Yeah, he's alittle tough. But he's the president. He has thatprerogative," said David C. Vogel, editor of TheB.U. Daily Free Press, a campus newspaper.

Former State Sen. George A. Bachrach said thatSilber "has been a brilliant and effectiveadministrator." He said that as an outsider toBeacon Hill, Silber might be an attractivecandidate because he has not been involved in thestate's current financial crisis.

But Bachrach added that Silber "doesn't havethe kind of style that would make him easy to workwith."

An educator for most of his life, Silber hastinkered with politics several times during thepast fifteen years, serving with Henry Kissingeron the National Bipartisan Commission on CentralAmerica.

And last spring, Silber reportedly consideredcrossing party lines to run against U.S. SenatorJohn Kerry (D-Mass.) as a Republican. Silber saidin March that he would not seek elective officebecause of the attention demanded by the Chelseaschool program.

In order to be placed on the ballot for theDemocratic primary, Silber must file a letter ofintent with the Democratic State Committee byJanuary 20. In addition, he must either gain 15percent of the delegate votes at the DemocraticConvention in June, or submit a petition signed by500 of the delegates