On Feb. 4, 2016, an email was sent out to all students announcing the appointment of Stanford’s next president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne. Tessier-Lavigne will be the University’s 11th president, and was recommended unanimously by the 19-member Presidential Search Committee after a consideration of numerous candidates.
While Tessier-Lavigne’ supporters point to his credentials as a scientist and professor, the announcement of his selection drew a heated reaction among some students on grounds of his race and gender. In the days after the announcement, the Stanford Daily took a dive into its archives to recount student opinions on past presidential appointments.
In April of 2000, President Hennessy was named Stanford’s 10th president. In an article entitled, “Search Committee left out Important Presidential Candidate” released April 14, Stanford Daily columnist Tom Jackson discussed potential problems with the appointment.
“Hennessy is not a Stanford alumnus, and therefore has no idea what it’s really like to be a student, graduate or undergraduate, at Stanford,” Jackson wrote.
Jackson criticized what he perceived to be the presidential search committee’s decision to overlook another potential candidate, John Elway, who held “several clear advantages as president candidate.”
“Hennessey has never been able to spread the field to beat a man press. Hennessey may know the game, and he may be able to recognize the blitz well, but he just doesn’t have the physical tools to exploit it like Elway does, and in the end, he lacks the mental toughness of the Comeback Kid,” Jackson wrote.
Rewind back to 1992, when Gerhard Casper was announced the 9th president of the University. In an article “Casper seeks to improve Undergraduate Education” released Sept. 24, 1992, Stanford Daily reporter Martha Brockenbrough wrote, “the first Stanford President in 25 years to be brought in from the outside, Casper was widely described as scholarly, witty and diplomatic when he was named Stanford’s ninth president March 17 after a highly secretive, six-month search progress”.
Casper grew popular among some students. When Casper stepped down in 1999, two students personally went to his house to dissuade him from stepping down.
Prior to President Casper, President Donald Kennedy held office from 1980-1992. Stanford Daily Senior Staff Writer Juthymas Harntha published an article titled “Kennedy’s style: an asset, liability” on May 29, 1992, discussing Kennedy’s persona in office.
“Donald Kennedy was a bold, self-confident leader whose direct and open style was the driving force behind many of the improvements during his tenure. Kennedy used his leadership to push for a number of projects that made concrete advances in the ‘80s, including undergraduate education, public service and a fundraising campaign that raised nearly $1.3 billion,” Harntha wrote.
Kennedy was also well-connected with students. “[H]is personal interaction with students-by being a freshmen advisor, by holding interviews on KZSU, by speaking in dormitories and teaching classes-reinforced his image as an accessible leader,” Harntha continued.
Kennedy’s confident personality landed him in occasional hot water, however, according to then Senior Editor of Time Magazine Paul Witteman.
“Kennedy’s approach to the indirect-cost controversy in its early stages showed that his self-assurance can often be interpreted as overconfidence. ‘Don is a pretty self-confident guy,’ Witteman said. ‘He was perceived by some as being too arrogant,’’’ Harntha wrote in his article.
Student reactions to newly appointed and departing presidents varied over the years, but the appointment has always been a matter of considerable attention among the student body. Judging by the reaction to Tessier-Lavigne’s appointment, the current transition will be no exception.
Contact Arielle Osorio at arielle3 ‘at’ stanford.edu