Harvard Minority Board Member Quits in Protest of Summers’ Raise
BOSTON
A member of Harvard’s top governing board says he resigned over a proposed raise to university President Lawrence H. Summers, according to a copy of the board member’s resignation letter released by the university earlier this week.
Harvard Corporation member Conrad K. Harper also cited his dissatisfaction with Summers’ leadership, including his controversial comments about women’s aptitude for science and math, as a reason for his resignation.
Harper, who is Black, was the only minority on the board.
“I saw a pattern,” Harper told Summers in his resignation letter, dated July 14. “Your statements demeaned those who are underrepresented at the top levels of major research universities.”
Harper’s departure became public last week but he declined to disclose the reason or provide a copy of his resignation letter. However, he said Harvard was free to release the letter if it chose.
In the three-page letter, Harper said his concerns “came to a head” when the Harvard Corporation decided last month to give Summers a 3 percent salary increase. That would raise his salary to about $580,000. Summers earned about $563,000 in salary in the 2005 fiscal year.
