Dear Members of the Harvard Community,
I am delighted to announce that John F. Manning will serve as the next provost of Harvard University.
Since he became interim provost in March, John has done an outstanding job maintaining momentum across a broad portfolio of academic activities while leading efforts to articulate, communicate, and uphold the values of the University. His convening and oversight of the Institutional Voice Working Group culminated in a final report that will enable leadership throughout our community to focus on our core function of teaching, learning, and research. Later this year, the Open Inquiry and Constructive Dialogue Working Group that John assembled will articulate best practices from the community for how to foster the free exchange of ideas. These complementary initiatives, robustly defined and intently pursued, will help to ensure our continued success in all aspects of our mission. They are, I believe, indicative of John’s overall approach—thoughtful and thorough with an eye toward enabling excellence in every part of the University.
John is a widely respected colleague, rigorous scholar, and celebrated teacher who is admired as much for his dedication to Harvard as for his broad and deep intellect. I remain grateful to faculty and administrative colleagues who offered their thoughts on the possibility of appointing him as provost. In conversations with leaders across the University over these past five months, my own impression of John has been confirmed many times over. Through his efforts to understand more about more parts of our community, he has demonstrated both humility and wisdom, two attributes that will serve him exceedingly well throughout his tenure. Most important, he is the right person for the moment in which we find ourselves, motivated by love for and service to the institution that raised his own sights, and eager to make it possible for all members of our University to thrive.
I extend to everyone at Harvard Law School my gratitude for sharing your beloved dean with the University. I especially want to thank John C. P. Goldberg, Carter Professor of General Jurisprudence, for his continued service as interim dean. He is an admired, generous, and respected colleague whose thoughtful counsel continues to enrich the University. I look forward to commencing a search for a permanent dean in September, and I will be in touch soon with more details.
Please join me in congratulating Provost Manning on his new appointment. Meanwhile, enjoy the slower pace of these waning days of summer.
Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber
P.S. For more, please see the related news release.
