Ensconced as a national icon of exhaustion, Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine will appear on the cover of Newsweek magazine scheduled to hit newsstands today.

A black and white photo of Rudenstine, taken at Friday night's President's Dance, is set behind the word "Exhausted," Which appears in large type across the president's face.

"The head of Harvard joins a recent list of famous flameouts," says the article, which focuses on both prominent and ordinary Americans who have been effectively crippled by stress and overwork.

Newsweek, which did not interview Rudenstine for the article, reported on the president's recent three-month leave of absence, which ended Thursday and was attributed to fatigue.

The magazine was provided with transcripts of the interviews the president held with reporters from The New York Times, The Boston Globe, the Associated Press and campus media two weekends ago.

"After three years of intensive nonstop toil in a hypermetabolic climate, Rudenstine hit the wall," the magazine says.

"His life was devoured, his sleep habits scrambled, his waking minutes assaulted by a hail of never-finished tasks," the Newsweek report continues.

Reaction to the article by members of Harvard's central administration yesterday was decidedly negative.

"The reality is that President Rudenstine is in great shape and led the freshman dance in style, and it is unfortunate that Newsweek clearly chose not to run a realistic representation of that event," said James H. Rowe, the University's vice president for government, community and public affairs.

"Just look at The Crimson's photo of that dance compared with the Newsweek cover," Rowe added, referring to the front page of Saturday's paper.

Representatives from the magazine were on campus throughout last week trying to obtain information about and a photo of the president.

Newsweek repeatedly contacted the Harvard News Office, The Crimson and several photo distribution companies in an attempt to find a picture of Rudenstine which reflected someone suffering from severe exhaustion.

After attempts to get a photo earlier in the week, a Newsweek representative came to The Crimson late Friday night to offering to pay as much as $1,500 for an unflattering photo of Rudenstine, even though the picture in question had been taken four years ,ago in New York.

The Crimson declined the offer.

Newsweek apparently had difficultysecuring the kind of photo desired, and a magazinerepresentative said that production of this week'sissue was delayed while editors waited for asuitable cover photo.

The issue did not go to press until lateSaturday night, according to Karen Wheeler, whoworks in the magazine's publicity department.

"To be knocking on The Crimson's door late atnight after being allowed to photograph at thefreshman dance only emphasizes their apparentpredisposition," Rowe said.

The photo which Newsweek finally settledon for its cover was taken by Ira Wyman, aBoston-based photographer working for themagazine.

AlthoughNewsweek sought an unflatteringpicture of Rudenstine, the president was oncevoted one of the top ten most attractive men inBoston by Boston Magazine.