Return to the Ivory Tower

Students taking Science B-16 "History of the Earth and Life" or Science B-46 "Molecular Biology and the Structure of Life" may have noticed an unfamiliar face showing up in class every so often, that of former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer '63.

Roemer, governor from 1988 to 1992, has returned to Harvard for a brief rest from national politics as an Institute of Politics (IOP) fellow.

He says the vacation is a welcome change from the rough and tumble of Politics. Between cajoling his son, Charles E. Roemer '92, to do his laundry and attending as many hockey games as possible, he says he is enjoying the life of an undergraduate for the second time.

"It's a good time to rest up," he says about his decision to spend this semester at Harvard. "I love being a student."

Roemer says that while Harvard has remained the same in some areas, the presence of women on campus is a huge change since his undergraduate years.

"The main difference is the presence of women on campus and their involvement in every facet of campus life," he says.

Roemer recently lost his bid for reelection to Edwin Edwards.

Compared to many undergraduates, his academic schedule is relatively light. He says he is auditing the two science Core classes and makes an occasional visit to Associate Professor of Government H.W. Perry's Civil Liberties course.

In addition, he is leading an IOP study group examining the role of a governor. The Wednesday meeting, called "Governors and the Politics of Governing," attempts to give students a practical look at the role of a state's top executive, Roemer says.

"I teach people about the importance of staff," he says. "A reliable and loyal staff is one of the most important and overlooked decisions a governor has to make. I tell them, 'you're elected governor, what are you going to do now?"

According to IOP administrators, the class and Roemer are popular among students. Over 100 Harvard students and local politicians are currently enrolled in the study group.

"He is a great guy," says Cheri Goldstein '93, the IOP student liaison. "People are very fond of him. He is very responsive to questions."

Roemer always has his office door open, welcoming his students, says IOP President Tray Grayson.

The activity he enjoys the most next to watching hockey is talking to students, Roemer says. His contact with undergraduates is proving educational, he says.

"I'm learning from students about what is important; their concerns about politics, the environment, etc.," Roemer says.

Says Roemer about Harvard students, "they look normal, act normal, just as it was 25 years ago, but they're bright as hell, which is what makes them so attractive."

Enrolled in Harvard at the age of 16, Roemer lived in Dunster House as an undergraduate. He is currently staying in Eliot House and says he is pleased about living there.

"If it takes 25 years to get into Eliot, it's worth it," he says, hastily adding "but I am planning on visiting Dunster."

Roemer, the Politician

After Roemer graduated from Harvard in 1963, he entered politics, rising from the Louisiana state legislature to the House of Representatives and finally landing in the governor's mansion. Throughout, he has been difficult to politically pin down.

At the start of his political career, he ran as a Democrat, albeit a conservative on fiscal issues. But in 1992, he switched parties and ran as a Republican for reelection to the governorship.

"The truth is I'm independent," says Roemer, adding that "parties in Louisiana don't really matter because of the open primaries. It's ideology and principle."

Roemer labels himself "a civil rights liberal, a social progressive and an economic opportunist." While the first two clearly mark him as a Democrat, the last demonstrates his strong Republican inclinations.

He gained national recognition during his 1981-1987 tenure at the House at the of Representatives, when he led the conservative Democrats, the Boll Weevils, in support of many of President Ronald Reagan's economic positions.

Despite his family background, which is strongly Democratic, Roemer is mostly known for his conservative stance on certain issues. Roemer, for example, opposed the Equal Rights Amendment and gun-control legislation.

But his stance on abortion has undergone a radical shift. Once considered a foe of pro-choice activists, Roemer claims to have changed his conservative stance an abortion.

Roemer attributes his change of faith to several factors, including reading the works of Professor of Geology Stephen J. Gould, who is also Agassiz professor of zoology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology.

"Reading Stephen J. Gould, I understand that there is no one point when life begins," Roemer says. "Needless to says more points are more equal than others."

In addition to grasping the complexity of defining life, he says, he says his willingness to listen to his constituents made him realize the many emotional and social facets of abortion.

"I have changed my position [on abortion] from what you may consider a classical pro-life...I'm more understanding now," Roemer says.

"I learned more about the power of listening while in office, "he says. "At Harvard they teach the power of speaking, which is very important, but the power of listening is underestimated here."

The abortion issue proved to be his political Achilles heel during his governorship. The fight that ensued between him and the legislative body was controversial and widely publicized.

Roemer twice vetoed an abortion bill that was the most restrictive in the country. But the Louisiana legislature eventually passed the measure. This is legislature eventually passed the country. But the Louisiana legislature the first time in this century that a Louisiana legislature overrode an executive veto.

Roemer said that he vetoed the bill because it was "badly written, "and because "it left women no choice."

Governor of Louisiana

His career as governor of Louisiana began on shaky footing. Mustering only a third of the total vote, Roemer defeated incumbent Edwin Edwards in the 1987 gubernatorial elections.

He entered office proclaiming the beginning of the "Roemer revolution," promising to fight the corruption and patronage which epitomized Edwards' governorship.

Along with the title, Roemer inherited a $1.2 million debt, with the prospects of a $70 million deficit. In order to reduce the deficit, he says, he imposed spending cuts and tax hikes.

Despite the odds, Roemer succeeded in balancing the budget by abolishing government slash funds and trimming the eligibility standards for unemployment.

The core of his economic program was to reduce Louisiana's dependence on oil revenues. Its success was partly due to the rise in oil prices during the Gulf War.

In spite of his fiscal success, Roemer's economic policies encountered widespread disapproval .He suffered his greatest defeat when he proposed a tax burden shift that would incorporate 90 percent of homeowners. The proposal was rejected in a public referendum.

Before his proposal, businesses shouldered the tax burden. Roemer says he attempted to shift the tax load from urban centers to rural areas and have large plantation and land owners share in the responsibility.

But Roemer is quick to point out his successes. Under his leadership, Louisiana increased spending on environmental projects and increased teachers' salaries by 20 percent.

The state consistently performed in the bottom 10 percent of these categories.

Reelection

In 1992, Roemer sought reelection to the governorship. By this time, he had switched political parties and ran as a Republican in the gubertorial race.

He says his biggest political mistake was underestimate David Duke, who is currently running for president.

Duke, who consistently polled 20 percent less then Roemer in pre-election polls, wrested the nomination away from Roemer when he received 80,000 more votes than the governor in the primaries.

"My biggest mistake was underestimating Duke," says Roemer. "He's a hypocrite. He lies to you in your face. He is the kind of man who distributed Nazi literature 18 months ago from his office in the legislature. People are saying he did these things in the past--this is a pretty recent past."

Responding to the possibility of Duke speaking at the IOP, Roemer says he would have love to see students coming out to protest Duke's presence on campus.

"I wish there would be a rally [of students] holding up signs reading: Duke, this is a free country, and we know who you are."

Buttressing his militant call, Roemer says open discussion is imperative in bringing out Duke's shortcoming. "The best way to beat him is with a full open debate, "he says.

Roemer also attributed his defeat to his decision to tell people the truth. "I told people that the budget had to be cut and what we had to do about welfare, and they didn't like it," he says.

Roemer did not reveal any future plans to run for public office. But he did say his tenure as governor has taught him a valuable lesson.

Says Roemer, "I love politics, but I'm a bad politician."