Reich Will Return to Cambridge

Secretary of Labor and former Harvard faculty member Robert Reich said yesterday he will move back to Cambridge in January--but isn't sure what he'll do when he gets here.

Reich, who announced last week he will leave his Cabinet post, will officially step down in January.

"I am a believer in the old adage that one doesn't return precisely to what one was doing before," Reich said in an interview with The Crimson yesterday.

Although Reich said that he does not have definite plans after he leaves the Clinton administration, he added that he hopes to continue an involvement in academia and government.

"I love teaching and writing, and I will stay involved in public affairs," Reich said. "I will also continue to be involved in issues of jobs, wages and the social and economic consequences of inequality, as I have been for the last 20 years.

"The President asked me to stay through the inauguration," Reich added. "I worked very hard to make sure the President was re-elected, and I have been trying to finish up some important projects at the Labor Department."

Reich added he feels ready to leave his post after Clinton's re-election. "Four years as a cabinet secretary is far longer than the average tenure of a cabinet secretary."

"To be a member of the Cabinet is a marvelous job, but it typically entails 12 to 15 hour days and often claims significant parts of weekends," Reich said. "It does not make for much of a balanced life."

Harvard Career

While on the faculty of the Kennedy School, Reich taught a number of classes on policy-related issues, including ethics and management.

Faculty members at the Kennedy School who worked with Reich laud his teaching abilities.

"He was a fabulous teacher," said Linda Kaboolian, assistant professor of public policy at the Kennedy School. "He developed innovative curricula; he understood the political world and the policy world; and he went on and demonstrated many of his skills as secretary."

During his years at Harvard, Reich also authored or co-authored six books. His most recent book, The Work of Nations, published in 1991, has been translated into fifteen languages.

Though observers have speculated on a possible return to Harvard, Reich said his family was the most important factor in his decision to return to Cambridge.

"I love my job but I love my family more," Reich said. "My boys are 12 and 15 years old and I want to spend more time with them. My wife is an associate dean at Northeastern Law School, and I also want to see more of her."