Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Harvard Crimson reports that Harvard's J. Lorand Matory will be leaving the university to take up a position at Duke: Matory To Join Duke Faculty
Anthropology professor J. Lorand Matory '82, a leading scholar on the African diaspora who is known for his strong criticisms of Israel and his opposition to former University President Lawrence H. Summers, will leave Harvard next fall to chair Duke's African and African-American studies department.
Matory said that Harvard did not respond to Duke's offer with a comparable position or salary...
You may recall Matory for his confrontation with our own Hillel Stavis, reported on back here: Confrontation at Harvard: Defa-Matory and Out to Lunch. Audio of the confrontation is included in the post.
Alan Dershowitz, quoted in the Crimson piece, is one faculty member willing to go on the record as not sad to see Matory go:
At least one professor welcomed the news of Matory's departure. The anthropologist's longtime antagonist, law professor Alan M. Dershowitz, a fierce defender of Israel, said that he was "thrilled" that Matory was leaving.
"I think it's the best thing that's happened to Harvard in a long time," he said in a phone interview yesterday. "Privately, there's a real sense of exhilaration and relief that this man is no longer a blot on our community."...
Buh. Bye.
Not necessarily or immediate reference to this departure, But, Nicholas Burns, a Wellesley kid, and BC Grad, who as the highest ranking career diplomat until retirement in March, is now at the Kennedy School.