Almost a year ago, however, the searchcommittee concluded it could not recommend any ofthe candidates for a tenure level appointment,according to Debra Ruder, assistant director ofthe Office of News and Public Affairs.

Instead, the committee proposed appointingFriedlander, who is nearing retirement age, to aguest professorship while the committee continuedits search.

"Our proposal to the Dean [Knowles] last springwas that a guest professor be brought to Harvardfor three visiting semesters during which timewe'd look for a permanent [professor]," said KruppFoundation Professor of European Studies CharlesS. Maier, who headed the search committee.

"The donors decided that the chair would not beappropriately used in that matter so this proposalbecame a dead letter," he said.

While Maier said that the decision to disbandthe committee was made by Knowles and the donors,the decision seemed to have been the result of thecommittee's inability to reach a consensus overkey issues.

The committee was split over whether thereought to be a Holocaust chair at all and if so,what type of scholar ought to occupy the position.

"Some people didn't want a Holocaust chair inthe first place," said Martin H. Peretz, alecturer in social studies.

Another issue which divided the committee wasthe candidacy of Associate Professor of Governmentand Social Studies Daniel J. Goldhagen '81.

The Lippers were rumored to favor Goldhagen,the controversial author of the best-sellingHitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germansand the Holocaust, but Harvard officials saidthe donors' preferences would not affect thesearch committee's decision.

Some members of the committee believedGoldhagen was too young to hold the position, aFaculty member familiar with the search told TheCrimson in April of 1997.

"There were others on the committee who knewthere was no one more qualified for a Holocauststudies chair than Goldhagen but for whateverreason didn't want to appoint him," Peretz said.

Peretz said Knowles' decision to disband thesearch committee was not surprising because thecommittee's attempts to form a consensus byappointing a guest professor were not in keepingwith its mission.

"The disbanding of the committee is actuallylong overdue because the committee seemed to beembarked on trying to fill one or another otherpositions but not a position in Holocauststudies," said Peretz.

The Future of Holocaust Studies atHarvard

The University remains optimistic about itsplans to fill a Holocaust post.