Brinkley is the son of David Brinkley, ABC Newscommentator and host of his own Sunday newsprogram, "This Week With David Brinkley."
Brinkley's work "doesn't see itself asreinterpretive or re-evaluating history in adeliberate way," said Huggins, who said he votedto tenure Brinkley. "Those things can beinterpreted as journalistic."
Fleming declines to discuss specific tenurecases. Asked what he looks for in a tenurecandidate, he first said: "intellectualdistinction." Fleming said that what Harvarddemands of American historians should not beinfluenced by the current trends in the field.
"I don't think the standards have changed. Idon't think they should change. I don't think theywill change," said Fleming. "The standards arewhat they were in the past."
Other department members differed. They saidthat Harvard's standards must evolve along withthe interests and quality of scholars in thefield.
"It's time to take chances," said WinthropProfessor of History Stephan Thernstrom, who, at51, is the Harvard's youngest tenured Americanhistorian.
Several predicted, however, that the HistoryDepartment would find it difficult to appointyounger, more specialized Americanists topermanent posts. They said the Brinkley decisionproves the views of Fleming and Handlin are tooweighty for opponents to overcome.
"A lot of this is personalities. A lot ofpersonalities carry a lot of weight. If they seesomething some way, others will follow," said asenior department member who spoke on condition ofannonymity.
"If they set their standards so high, thenthey're going to end up with no one. That's whyfields rise and fall within a university," Fryesaid.
Asked about such a danger, Fleming responded,"As far as the difficulty of making appointmentslike this--there have never been that many peoplewho could do this type of work in the pasteither."