Resolution of the Peretz / Harvard Controversy

The "final" version of the planned program honoring the 50th anniversary of the Social Studies program at Harvard has been published on the Social Studies website. I won't quote it all here, but the newsworthy part is this:

12:00               Lunch
                        Welcome from Grzegorz Ekiert
                        Recognition of Head Tutors and Directors of Studies:
                                    Robert Paul Wolff, Richard Hunt, Martin Peretz,
                        Michael Donnelly, Cheryl Welch, Judith Vichniac, Anya Bernstein
                                    Principal Speaker: Robert Paul Wolff *

That is, recognition of those who have been dedicated teachers through the history of the program, but a scheduled speaking role for only one of them. (*Underline and link added, and the link is interesting.)

The Harvard Crimson has reported (and I have heard from several other sources) that during this past week's "Muslim life is cheap" controversy, a new flow of donations on Peretz's behalf has come into Harvard. They have increased the total for the fellowship named in his honor from $500,000 to $650,000. I mentioned recently a possible win-win resolution from Harvard's point of view: creating another, paired fellowship, preferentially for an American or foreign student of Muslim background. This new money provides a start. Just a thought.