Report: Summers Is Harvard's Pick

BOSTON (AP) â€” Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers has been selected as the next president of Harvard University, The Boston Globe reported Sunday. <br><br>The Globe, citing sources close

Sunday, March 11th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BOSTON (AP) â€” Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers has been selected as the next president of Harvard University, The Boston Globe reported Sunday.

The Globe, citing sources close to the presidential search, said the Harvard Board of Overseers were to be called into special session in New York on Sunday to consider Summers' appointment.

Campus officials were to be given lists of top donors, politicians, and alumni to call in advance of a public announcement, expected as early as Sunday afternoon, the newspaper reported.

Harvard refused to confirm Summers' appointment.

``There's no official word that's come down,'' Harvard spokeswoman Rebecca Rollins said.

The Harvard Crimson, the school's newspaper, reported on its Web site Friday that the search committee recommended Summers for the post over University of Michigan President Lee Bollinger.

If confirmed, Summers would become the 27th president of Harvard, replacing Neil H. Rudenstine, who is stepping down in June after a decade at the helm of the 355-year-old university.

Summers, 46, is a prominent economist and former Harvard professor. He was appointed treasury secretary in 1999, after four years as deputy secretary and two years as undersecretary for international affairs.

Since January, Summers has been a fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank.

Harvard students have already scheduled a protest of the possible appointment. The Harvard Progressive Student Labor Movement plans to object Monday to policies Summers promoted as chief economist at the World Bank.