Murphy To Lead Education School

If they thought it would be a quiet summer at the Graduate School of Education, they were wrong.

It would have made sense. After all, the School of Education ended the spring euphorically with the announcement that Columbia Teachers' College professor Linda Darling-Hammond would become the new dean.

The stage was set for a summer of comfort and renewal for the faculty, which had lacked a permanent leader since Patricia A. Graham resigned in February 1991.

But soon after students left campus, something went awry. Darling-Hammond--who had withdrawn her candidacy months before she accepted the deanship--backed out of the school's top post for a second time, citing personal reasons that prevented her from leaving New York.

And the School of Education had to begrudgingly renew its search for a dean.

While many faculty members insisted that the Education School remained on solid ground, some admitted that the lack of permanent leadership might hurt the school in its academic and financial planning processes. All agreed that the sooner a new dean was in place, the better.

President Neil L. Rudenstine said he hoped to choose a new Dean by early fall. Many speculated that he would choose from several internal candidates, including former Associate Dean Jerome T. Murphy and acting Dean Catherine E. Snow.

And in mid-August, after reviewing the suggestions of Education School faculty, consulting a search committee and interviewing candidates, Rudenstine announced that Murphy would take the helm.

Murphy shows no signs of abandoning the position. He has served on the faculty since 1974, and is enthusiastic about leading the school, increasing student financial aid and enhancing programs. "I just love this place," he said in August.

According to Rudenstine, Murphy was a top contender in the original search. "Jerry Murphy was clearly up there," Rudenstine said after he announced Murphy's appointment. "Had [Darling-Hammond] said no at that time, we would certainly have appointed Jerry."

Murphy's colleagues say he is creative and well versed on the ins and outs of the School of Education. They say the insider is equipped with a solid knowledge of faculty and policy and will hit the ground running.

Harvard's newest dean must jump into the University-wide academic planning process, now nearly a year old. He must cope with the financial pressures of one of Harvard's poorer schools. And he must take the reins of a faculty used to some degree of autonomy.

By the time Murphy set to preparing, the summer was almost over. Precious little quiet time left for a soon-to-be-busy dean.