Bok said he will not participate in the HarvardCorporation's search for his successor, a stancehe says is fairly standard among universitypresidents.

"It's just as well if the incumbent doesn'tplay a role in the selection," he said.

Several administrators close to Bok, includingCorporation member Rosovsky, who will serve asacting dean of the faculty starting July 1, andAssociate Dean for International Affairs Joseph S.Nye, said they had learned of Bok's plans to leavebefore the formal announcement.

Some professors and administrators speculatedthat the logical choice for a new Harvardpresident is normally the dean of the Faculty. Butsince Spence is leaving for Stanford, theselection was hard to predict, they said.

One overseer said that foundation heads whohave graduated from Harvard, such as OverseerPeter C. Goldmark '62, are a likely bet.

But Goldmark said he would not be selected "ina thousand years."

And Stanford President Donald Kennedy '52, aclose associate of Bok's, said Bok's succesorwould almost definitely be a full-time Harvardfaculty member or administrator.

The scion of a wealthy Philadelphia family, Bokreceived his undergraduate degree from Stanford in 1951and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1954,where he was any editor of the Harvard LawReview.

He joined the Harvard faculty of law as anassistant professor in 1958 and received tenure in1961. He became dean in 1968.

He has published several books on both laborlaw and higher education, most recentlyUniversities and the Future of America.