Following The Crimson's Friday extra, the Globe acknowledged that an announcement was expected over the weekend and reported that The Crimson had declared Summers the winner on its website. But both the Globe and the Associated Press were skeptical, with the Globe unwilling to pronounce Bollinger's candidacy dead.

Search committee member Robert G. Stone Jr. '45, intent on preserving some modicum of Corporation secrecy, fanned the flames. He told Healy that "kids can get it wrong sometimes," leaving the reporter to write in Saturday's Globe that "more than most of the finalists, Summers has made people at Harvard nervous."

(Stone today downplayed his remark to the Globe. Asked yesterday by Crimson reporters about the comment, Stone replied, "Did I say that? Did I?")

In large measure, Bollinger continued to attract attention because of the idiosyncrasies of his current job. University of Michigan regents and other officials proved far more voluble than those close to Summers and Fineberg.

"Michigan is a public university, with a board of regents who are required to be informed," explains search committee member Hanna H. Gray. As a result, news reports relied disproportionately on the opinions of Bollinger allies.

The infatuation with Bollinger reached its climax in the Harvard Independent, which had scooped the nation with the announcement of Derek C. Bok's appointment in 1971. This time the Harvard weekly proved less successful, running a full-page profile of Bollinger in its Thursday issue, accompanied by an editor's note explaining that the paper "has received information" leading it to conclude Bollinger "will likely lead this University starting in July."

The Independent says it cultivated a number of sources in the University of Michigan administration, as well as others "close to Bollinger," but had few insights into the players on Harvard's end. As a result, says Managing Editor Alexander P. Nyren '02, the weekly's reporters absorbed much of the exuberance of those who were already predisposed to root for Bollinger.