President and Fellows of Harvard College
The President and Fellows of Harvard College (also called the Harvard Corporation) is the smaller of Harvard University's two governing boards, the other being its Board of Overseers.
History
In 1650, at the request of Harvard President Henry Dunster, the Great and General Court of Massachusetts issued the body's charter, making it now the oldest corporation in the Americas; detailed provisions for the Corporation's status and privileges were subsequently written into the charter of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as well. Although the institution it governs has grown into Harvard University (of which Harvard College is one of several components), the corporation's formal title remains the President and Fellows of Harvard College.
The corporation was probably originally intended to be a body of the school's resident instructors, similar to the fellows of an Oxbridge college. However, it early fell into the now-familiar American model of a governing board—an outside body whose members are not involved in the institution's daily life, which meets periodically to consult with the day-to-day head, the president (whom it appoints). The Corporation is self-perpetuating, appointing new members to fill its own vacancies as they arise.
In recent years, the Corporation has comprised six fellows in addition to the president, but in December 2010 it announced that, as a result of a year-long governance review, its "composition, structure, and practices" would be greatly altered: the number of fellows would increase from 7 to 13, with prescribed terms of service, and several new committees would endeavor to improve the group's integration with the activities of the University as a whole, especially its long-term planning.[1]
Current Fellows
There are currently thirteen members of the Corporation. Their names, positions, and degrees that each received from a school of Harvard University are also shown below.
Name | Degree | Year appointed | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|
Drew Gilpin Faust | A.M. 2001 (honorary) | 2007 | President of Harvard University[2] |
Lawrence S. Bacow | J.D. 1976, M.P.P. 1976, Ph.D. 1978 | 2011[3] | former President of Tufts University |
James W. Breyer | M.B.A. 1987 | 2013[4] | founder and CEO of Breyer Capital |
Kenneth I. Chenault | J.D. 1976 | 2014[5] | Chairman and CEO of American Express |
Paul J. Finnegan, Treasurer | A.B. 1975, M.B.A. 1982 | 2012[6] | co-CEO of Madison Dearborn Partners |
Susan L. Graham | A.B. 1964 | 2011[3] | professor, University of California, Berkeley |
Nannerl O. Keohane | LL.D. 1993 (honorary) | 2005 | professor, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University |
William F. Lee, Senior Fellow | A.B. 1972 | 2010 | co-managing partner, WilmerHale |
Jessica Tuchman Mathews | A.B. 1967 | 2013[7] | former President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |
Karen Gordon Mills | A.B. 1975, M.B.A. 1977 | 2014[5] | former Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration |
Joseph J. O’Donnell | A.B. 1967, M.B.A. 1971 | 2011[3] | Chairman of the Board of Centerplate, Inc. |
James F. Rothenberg | A.B. 1968, M.B.A. 1970 | 2004 | president and director, Capital Research and Management Company |
Theodore V. Wells, Jr. | J.D. 1976, M.B.A. 1976 | 2013[7] | partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP |
References
- ↑ "Governance Review Culminates in Changes to Harvard Corporation". Harvard Gazette. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University. 6 December 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ↑ Rimer, Sara (12 February 2007). "A 'Rebellious Daughter' to Lead Harvard". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Three to join Harvard Corporation". Harvard Gazette. Harvard University. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ↑ "Breyer elected to Harvard Corporation". Harvard Gazette. Harvard University. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- 1 2 "Kenneth Chenault and Karen Gordon Mills to join Harvard Corporation". Harvard Gazette. Harvard University. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ↑ "Finnegan elected to Corporation". Harvard Gazette. Harvard University. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- 1 2 "Mathews and Wells elected to Harvard Corporation". Harvard Gazette. Harvard University. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2015.