Brown makes history, picks African-American president

Brown University's nine-month-long presidential search officially ended yesterday afternoon with the selection of Smith College President Ruth Simmons as the new leader of the Providence, R.I., school. This historic appointment marks the first time an African American has been selected to the top post at an Ivy League college. In addition, the 55-year-old Simmons is only the second woman to receive the office in the Ancient Eight -- Penn President Judith Rodin was the first female president in the Ivies when she was appointed in 1994. "When I was told I had been elected this afternoon as president of Brown, I said my ancestors are smiling. It's a wonderful moment for me," Simmons said at a press conference yesterday. Simmons will be assuming the position unexpectedly vacated by then-president E. Gordon Gee, who left in February to take the chancellorship of Vanderbilt University. She will take the reins from Interim President Sheila Blumstein on July 1, 2001. According to Brown University spokesperson Mark Nickel, more than 300 people were considered for the job. Simmons was confirmed unanimously by a vote of the Brown Corporation after an extensive process that involved two selection committees and the services of an executive search firm. Simmons has a lengthy record in higher education. The 12th child of Texas sharecroppers, she earned her bachelor's degree from Dillard University and her master's and doctorate degrees from Harvard University. She has held various academic and administrative positions at several schools -- including California State University at Northridge and the University of Southern California -- and also served as provost at Spelman College in 1990. Her last position before becoming president of Smith College was vice provost at Princeton University, where she had earlier been a dean of faculty. Simmons' transition to the presidency is on the minds of many in the Brown community. Nickel said that Simmons has a lot of interests and wants to "learn about Brown [and] talk to people here." He added that there is "a very good fit between Dr. Simmons and Brown," continuing that "she's used to the type of climate that she sees here." Jennie Leszkiewicz, the president of Brown's Undergraduate Council of Students, was impressed with the president-designate's first speech to the Brown community. "She has a lot of qualities that I think work very well with Brown," Leszkiewicz said. "I think, right now, we're really excited to have a leader to lead us in a new direction." Simmons appearance at yesterday's press conference prompted standing ovations from the packed auditorium. "I'd say that by far what impressed me the most was her integrity and her sincerity.... It was really clear when she spoke that [those qualities] came across," Leszkiewicz said. Marvin Lazerson, a professor at Penn's Institute for Research in Higher Education, felt that women were rising in administrative positions. "I think it is the case that talented women are increasingly becoming presidents and provosts," Lazerson said, noting that women are taking more leadership positions at liberal arts colleges. Brown's decision drops the number of Ivy League presidential searches down to two -- the presidents of both Harvard and Princeton universities have announced their intentions to step down at the end of this academic year.