Tech wisdow watch
With apologies to Newsweek, The Tech staff proudly presents its first (and last) Tech Wisdom (TW) watch. As President Paul E. Gray '54, "a plain-spoken electrical engineering specialist with the build and staying power of a fireplug," moves out of stately 111 Memorial Drive and Phillip A. Sharp prepares to assume the throne, the TW provides a recap of the key candidates in the search for the 15th president.
John Deutch '61
Provost, MIT
Z_Z_Old TW: War Provost perfect to keep funds flowing from the DOD old-boy network.
Z_Z_New TW: End of cold war signals time for a kinder, gentler president.
Lester Thurow
Dean, MIT Sloan
School of Management
Z_Z_Old TW: Mediagenic Sloan Dean would boost MIT's profile.
Z_Z_New TW: Moronic statements on fraternities show he's as bad as the rest.
George Shultz PhD '49
Former Secretary of State
Z_Z_Old TW: Tiger tattoo turns off nerds.
Z_Z_New TW: Why was he on the Globe's list in the first place?
David Baltimore '61
Director, Whitehead Institute
Z_Z_Old TW: Nobel laureate and Big Ed Whitehead integrated into University-Industrial Complex.
Z_Z_New TW: Dingell damage leads to exile at Rockefeller U.
Sheila Widnall '60
Professor, Department of
Aeronautics and Astronautics
Z_Z_Old TW: TW picked Aero-Astro God to be prez in 1988.
Z_Z_New TW: Old fuddy-duddy white males on selection committee would never choose a woman.
Donald Kennedy
President,
Stanford University
Z_Z_Old TW: Crimson alum, Cardinal prez. Red scare for hardliners on committee.
Z_Z_New TW: Too many Kennedys in Massachusetts already.
Arno A. Penzias
Head of Research,
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Z_Z_Old TW: Bell Labs' Nobel laureate the perfect candidate for the information age.
Z_Z_New TW: What do we need him for, we already replaced dormline.
Frank Press
President, National
Academy of Sciences
Z_Z_Old TW: Boring NAS head turned down last time around.
Z_Z_New TW: Nothing's changed.
Dean Eastman
Vice President
of Research, IBM
Z_Z_Old TW: Namesake of George, sentimental favorite of the over-80 crowd.
Z_Z_New TW: No relation. Sorry.
Thomas E. Everhart SIDEWAYS
California Institute of Applied Technology
Old TW: Caltech wannabe makes the Science list.
New TW: Never heard of Everhart.
Solomon J. Buchsbaum
PhD '57
Executive Vice President,
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Z_Z_Old TW: Another Bell Labs honcho, but with the vital corporate connections.
Z_Z_New TW: Corporate cold-warrior is Deutch in sheep's clothing.
James F. Gibbons
Dean of Engineering,
Stanford University
Z_Z_Old TW: Turned down CMU presidency for MIT.
Z_Z_New TW: Should have accepted the CMU offer.
Phillip A. Sharp
Director, MIT Center for
Cancer Research
Z_Z_Old TW: Lasker Award winner does good as Cancer Center head. A favorite of the faculty.
Z_Z_New TW: Faculty finally gets its way.
The Corporation and
faculty search
committees
Z_Z_Old TW: March 2 announcement allows Friday news break for crack staff at The Tech.
Z_Z_New TW: Early announcement preempts Tech scoop.
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