Scott added that working with the new manager will be "a pleasure" because Meyer has a clear understanding of the University's spending needs.

"What Jack will do is add more rigor and systematic thought to a process that has been thought out over many years," says Treasurer D. Ronald Daniel. "The investment objectives for the endowment have not been pulled out of the air. All Jack is saying is that he will debate them some more."

During the search, University insiders said that the Corporation wanted the new president to be "independent" and observers now note that with Meyer at the helm, there will likely be significant changes in the management of the company.

Peter C. Goldmark '62, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, remarks that Meyer is "the Ty Cobbs of funds management, and he plays hard every day."

Only a few weeks after his permanent arrival, Meyer is talking about completely restructuring the endowment portfolio and creating a more effective measure of its growth.

The University must become more involved, Meyer says, in directing HMC towards the goals that are important for the institution.

And although Meyer and Cabot both use the same vocabulary of "diversification" and "balancing risk," Meyer brings a new philosophy about his own role in the University community.

Where Cabot last year spoke agressively about achieving "total returns that are equal to or greater than the rate on inflation" and was interested primarily with investment, Meyer seems to have greater concern for the University's specific needs in terms of spending and risk tolerance.

"I've already met with the Corporation, and I hope to meet a number of the deans over the next few months," Meyer says. "I look at all of this as absolutely critical input. And that will get me involved in the University life to some extent."

Meyer's desire to "get involved" in the University sets him apart from the traditions at HMC, whose Boston financial district offices have always been removed from the academic life in Cambridge.

But Meyer has a reputation for crossing traditional barriers between non-profit organizations and their money managers. At Rockefeller, the young money manager surprised his colleagues by showing a keen interest in the prestigious Foundation programs.

"There is almost no process which he does not enrich," says Goldmark, adding that Meyer was a senior programs officer at Rockefeller. "He can bring something to any sort of a team."

Meyer says he wants his contribution to go beyond watching Harvard football--which he has not yet seen since his summer arrival--but does not know what kind of role he could play.

"We've encouraged him to be a part of the fabric of the University, as well as the endowment manager," Daniel says. "We want him to be both. That was one of the reasons he came to Harvard."

Easing Tensions