Simmons Sets an Example

Until recently, three Ivy League universities were searching for new presidents. Now there are only two. Last week, Brown University made a superb choice when it picked Ruth J. Simmons, a Harvard alum and current president of Smith College, to head the institution.

Simmons, the first black and second woman to lead an Ivy League school, is highly regarded by both her peers and students at Smith College. Described by one student as the "most respected person on campus," she has been a tireless advocate for diversity in higher education. Simmons also has the reputation for being accessible to undergraduates, a quality far too rare among high-level administrators. She should prove a better fit for Brown University than E. Gordon Gee, its most recent president, who shocked the campus community by resigning after only two years at the post.

Simmons's story is a testament to her resilience, determination and sheer courage. The youngest of 12 children born to Texas sharecroppers, her dream was to attend college on a scholarship. She has accomplished that and so much more. After attending Dillard University in New Orleans, she came to Harvard for her master's and doctorate degrees in Romance languages and literatures. She served as vice provost of Princeton before assuming the presidency of Smith in 1995. When she takes office as Brown's president in July 2001, she will break down a color barrier that has stood for far too long within the Ivy League.

Brown's presidential choice also has reverberations closer to home. Like Brown, Harvard's presidential search committee should strongly consider a well-qualified woman or minority candidate when it selects its successor for outgoing President Neil L. Rudenstine. All of Harvard's past presidents have been white males. Although the University of Pennsylvania already has a female president, Brown has taken the initiative in shattering the ethnic glass ceiling within the Ivy League. Now it is time for Harvard to follow suit.

In addition, this post presents an unparalleled opportunity for the University to increase the diversity in the upper echelons of its administration. The University Faculty is extremely homogeneous, and due to the lack of new tenured positions, it is difficult to appoint enough new professors to fill the gaping holes of women and minority representation. However, the opening at president gives the University an excellent chance to encourage integration, and from the top down.

It seems that the Brown search committee, a much more open model than Harvard's own, has made an excellent choice. A campus advisory committee including faculty, staff, graduate students and undergraduates helped the Brown Corporation arrive at the decision that Simmons is the best choice. Harvard's secretive search committee, made up solely of members of the Harvard Corporation and Overseers, is unfortunately not open to this formal avenue of input.

We are happy and proud to see Brown University appoint such a worthy and deserving president. The position is perfect for Simmons--she will surely be able to continue her work of opening elite private institutions to a more diverse atmosphere. We are confident that Brown's choice will prove to be a prescient one.