Mass. Hall officials played musical chairs again this year with one vice president taking up a judicial bench and the provost assuming a chancellor's seat in California.

Provost Albert Carnesale was chosen by the University of California Regents to head its Los Angeles (UCLA) campus. Only 28 days after Carnesale's appointment, President Neil L. Rudenstine named Dean of the School of Public Health Harvey V. Fineberg '67 to the University's number two position.

Harvard's vice president and general counsel since 1992, Margaret H. Marshall was tapped for a seat on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in September.

Rudenstine also created a new position toward the apex of the University, naming Dennis F. Thompson, a professor of political theory and founder of the inter-faculty initiative on Ethics and the Professions, to the position of associate provost.

Rudenstine's administration has been tumultuous for the University's top leadership. Four of the five vice presidents have changed at least once, and the vice president for finance has changed three times.

The Provost

In mid-February, Carnesale travelled to California to interview for UCLA's top position. Only two weeks later, on Mar. 6, the California Board of Regents confirmed Carnesale's appointment as Harvard lamented the loss of a 23-year veteran.

"When there are informed people around the world who list the great universities...I want that list to include UCLA," Carnesale said in a phone conference that day.

Carnesale's decision to accept the position at UCLA came suddenly and took many Mass. Hall officials by surprise. It also put Rudenstine on a fervent search for a replacement.

Senior administrators considered it imperative that Rudenstine quickly fill the position since the provost is a critical post in the administration, Mass. Hall sources said.

All the candidates Rudenstine considered were deans at one of Harvard's nine schools. Sources said that Rudenstine only talked with two other candidates.

On April 3, after an uncharacteristically short search, Rudenstine named Fineberg to the post.

"He's a superb person, a superb human being, all the right values, all the right concerns about the institution and the people," Rudenstine said.

Fineberg holds four Harvard degrees and has served as dean for 13 years.

He will take over when Carnesale leaves for California on July 1.