In University President Neil L. Rudenstine's first statement since the news that Lawrence H. Summers is the presidential search committee's choice to be the next president of Harvard, the current president heaped praise upon the former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

"I have always admired him," Rudenstine said at the annual President's Dance for first-years held in Annenberg Hall last night.

Rudenstine, who attended the dance with his wife, Angelica, looked relaxed as he danced with his wife and mingled with students.

Rudenstine said he had no intention of attending today's hastily convened meeting of the presidential search committee and the Board of Overseers. The approval of the Overseers is required to make the pick official. Rudenstine said he had other work to do in Cambridge.

Nattily dressed in a grey suit and pinstripe shirt with a color-coordinated tie, he appeared at the dance around 8:20 p.m. with his wife, who sported a turquoise jacket.

When approached by a Crimson editor with a hard copy of the newspaper's extra edition from Friday night and asked if he had a statement, Rudenstine asked, "Has it been announced?"

Rudenstine said he will attend the formal announcement.

Rudenstine said that Summers is "very, very bright. I am sure he will do a tremendous job as president of Harvard."

Summers and Rudenstine were at Harvard together briefly, from 1991, when Rudenstine was appointed Harvard's 26th president, to 1993, when Summers departed for Washington, D.C. to join the Treasury Department.

--Staff writer Andrew J. Miller can be reached at amiller@fas.harvard.edu.