Green Offers Youth, FAS Background

At first glance, one might consider Jerry Richard Green to be a Harvard outsider.

But thought he did not arrive here with the classic insider's background, Green--a New York Jew who has never studied at an Ivy League university-has worked his way through a variety of administrative and academic posts. Over the past 21 years, in fact, Green has assembled quite a reputation as a faculty insider.

And it is perhaps as a consequence of that experience and that reputation that the 45-year-old Wells Professor of Political Economy is now a leading contender in President Neil L. Rudenstine's search for a provost.

Though Green is the youngest candidate on Rudenstine's short list, he has been a Harvard professor for nearly half his life--since before most current undergraduates were born.

While some question Green's lack of experience outside the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, other observers say an economist would be a fine choice as provost in these tough economic times.

Almost all of Green's backers mention his extensive administrative experience within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

The economist currently serves as chair of the Faculty's Retirement Policy Committee. He also chairs the Committee on Professional Conduct and serves on several other faculty committees.

Green has also served as a member of the Faculty Council and as chair of the Department of Economics.

Department colleagues describe Green as an organized, hardworking individual who would make a good provost.

"He's very caring about his students and about the University," says Barker Professor of Economics Stephen A. Marglin.

Bell Professor of Economics Jeffrey G. Williamson says Green is committed to Harvard, as well as to his scholarship, and has been "all along."

"I think he'd make a superb candidate for the job," says Williamson.

Marglin says Green did "a very good job" as chair of the Economics Department between 1984 to 1987. "He was very fair-minded, and he worked very hard at it," says Marglin.

Green is also a diligent and prolific scholar, who has published 87 research papers and articles in the past 22 years. He won a Guggenheim fellowship in 1987.

Berkman Professor of Economics Andreu Mas-Colell says Green's research has focused on a variety of topics, including both theory and applications. Green's recent work has been on tax enforcement and aspects of behavior in risky situations, MasColell says.

Mas-Colell says he is currently working with Green on a microeconomic theory textbook.

In addition to his experience as an administrator and scholar, Green has won respect for his skills as a teacher.

Marglin calls Green an "innovative" teacher who is "almost daring, by the standards of graduate teaching." For example, Green used the play Other People's Money as a model for one graduate economics course.

Green won the Galbraith prize for teaching ineconomics in 1980, and still handles a heavyteaching load. This semester, he is teaching agraduate course on economic theory and another on"Uncertainty and Information."

He also helps teach a year-long seminar onpublic and organizational decision-making withprofessors from the Business School and KennedySchool of Government.

He is not teaching any courses forundergraduates this semester, but was a residenttutor in Currier House between 1974 and 1976.

Green's rise at Harvard was relatively fast. Hearrived as an assistant professor in 1970immediately after earning an A.B. and Ph.D. fromthe University of Rochester.

He was promoted to associate professor threeyears later and was granted tenure in 1978, at age32.

In a Crimson interview after a class yesterday,Green refused to comment on any aspect of theprovost search.

But his colleagues say they would not besurprised if Green decided to sign on for aseven-to-10-year stint as a Universityadministrator.

"This might be a challenge he might be willingto take on...It would not surprise me," saysMarglin, who teaches a course with Green.

"His name resonates perfectly well with me as aprovost," says MasColell.

Green lives in Lincoln, Mass. with his wife,Pamela S. Green. They have no children.

He is an avid golfer and says he has a handicapof 8. His voice still carries traces of a New Yorkaccent

Green won the Galbraith prize for teaching ineconomics in 1980, and still handles a heavyteaching load. This semester, he is teaching agraduate course on economic theory and another on"Uncertainty and Information."

He also helps teach a year-long seminar onpublic and organizational decision-making withprofessors from the Business School and KennedySchool of Government.

He is not teaching any courses forundergraduates this semester, but was a residenttutor in Currier House between 1974 and 1976.

Green's rise at Harvard was relatively fast. Hearrived as an assistant professor in 1970immediately after earning an A.B. and Ph.D. fromthe University of Rochester.

He was promoted to associate professor threeyears later and was granted tenure in 1978, at age32.

In a Crimson interview after a class yesterday,Green refused to comment on any aspect of theprovost search.

But his colleagues say they would not besurprised if Green decided to sign on for aseven-to-10-year stint as a Universityadministrator.

"This might be a challenge he might be willingto take on...It would not surprise me," saysMarglin, who teaches a course with Green.

"His name resonates perfectly well with me as aprovost," says MasColell.

Green lives in Lincoln, Mass. with his wife,Pamela S. Green. They have no children.

He is an avid golfer and says he has a handicapof 8. His voice still carries traces of a New Yorkaccent