What was most significant about the phenomenalgrowth of the school, Cavanagh says, was that itestablished the Kennedy School as a first-rateinstitution in public service that could attractand keep renowned people in the field on itsfaculty.

Allison's determined pursuit of a top-notchfaculty has been successful--among the manynotable scholars and practitioners that havepassed through the school during Allison's tenurehave been Dillon Professor of Government RichardE. Neustadt, Professor of Press and Public PolicyMarvin Kalb, Attorney General Richard L.Thornburgh and Gov. Michael S. Dukakis.

The high profile politicos and thewell-respected scholars who Allison has been ableto keep or recruit for the school have helpedestablish the Kennedy School as a prominentinstitution in Washington and the real world ofpolitics--President Bush's victory took half adozen people from the Kennedy School to the WhiteHouse.

But the revolving door of the Kennedy Schoolalso received much scrutiny during the dean'stenure, as critics charged that the school hadbecome a place where defeated politicians tookhaven and signed autographs.

But despite much debate among the faculty aboutthe proper role of practitioners on the school'sfaculty, Allison continued to support theexpansion of faculty with experience outside ofacademia.

Pursuing a unique and controversial agendarequired a great willingness to take risks and beinnovative, say observers of Allison.

"He was the quintessential academic entrepreneur," says Cavanagh. By enterprising in programs inareas such as ethics, poverty and state and localgovernment--disciplines which had not beendeveloped at any other schools of public policy inthe country--Allison took bold risks, he adds.

But critics have also charged that Allison'semphasis on growth led to a slighting ofcurricular issues for many years at the school.During the last presidential campaign, the KennedySchool's curriculum was brought to nationalattention with the candidacy of Gov. Michael S.Dukakis and was criticized for being tootechnocratic.

Emphasis on Ethics

More recently, Bok--in his annual report whichthis year focused on the Kennedy School--called onthe school to consolidate and place a greateremphasis on ethics in its core curriculum.

But Allison sighted the large-scale curriculumreview which began at the school two years ago asevidence that consolidation and review have beenhigh priorities at the school before either thepresidential campaign or the release of thepresident's report.

"The suggestions that the Bok reportmakes--about the curriculum and the need toaddress more seriously the issues of ethics andpolitics--are the issues already in the currentagenda of the school," Allison says.

As a dean he has tried to pursue a policy ofbuilding up a strong faculty in specific areasbefore seeking to incorporate new disciplines intothe core, Allison says.

Because he spent years recruiting people likethe renowned ethicist Dennis F. Thompson andProfessor of Electoral Politics Shirley Williams,the school is now able to commit itself to astronger emphasis on ethics and politics in itscore curriculum, Allison says.

"Before we had built up a bit of teachingexperience in ethics and values, could we just saythat we were going to teach such a course? No--wedid not have the faculty," Allison says.