"He, with great integrity, didn't leave his assistant out to dry--he took the blame himself. It shows great integrity of mind and also great personal integrity," Ellerman said.
Friends say that worries as to Summers' alleged irritability are unfounded.
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"He is the most wonderful person to work for," Sandberg said.
But Summers' friends in Washington say Harvard should be wary of at least one aspect of the new president-designee's personality.
"He's got a really wry sense of humor. That'll definitely be a downgrade from [Rudenstine]," Podesta laughs.
--Garrett M. Graff contributed to the reporting of this article.
--Staff writer Andrew J. Miller can be reached at amiller@fas.harvard.edu.