“Believing deeply that complacency is among the greatest risks facing Harvard, I have sought for the last five years to prod and challenge the university to reach for the most ambitious goals in creative ways. There surely have been times when I could have done this in wiser or more respectful ways,� Summers wrote.

In 2004, African-American studies sociologist Dr. Lawrence Bobo and his wife, Dr. Marcyliena Morgan, also a former Harvard professor, left for Stanford University after Summers denied Morgan tenure despite a unanimous positive recommendation by African-American studies colleagues. This led to the departure of another celebrated African-American professor, Dr. Michael C. Dawson, who accepted a University of Chicago offer. Gates said he will step down as department chair July 1, though he plans to remain with Harvard’s faculty.

Nevertheless, Summers has remained widely popular with students. The majority of students polled by The Harvard Crimson wanted Summers to stay, and The Crimson editorialized in Summers’ favor, but this may have widened the rift between Summers and the FAS.

“I think that he’s really tried hard to create differences between faculty and students and I think that’s a great pity,� says another anonymous faculty member in Harvard’s department of economics. “Right now, student-faculty relations are not good because he’s really tried to whip up student support for himself against the faculty.�

Ultimately, Summers’ disregard of basic academic freedoms was among his most serious mistakes, Marable says. “If the president is contemptuous of cultural diversity and multiracial dialogue in the spirit of a civil community, it disrupts the processes of academic freedom, and that’s what Summers did. Summers’ seeking to strike a blow for White supremacy everywhere ended up [costing] him his job.�