But Summers has, in the past, been known for having a short temper.

"Summers is respected for his intelligence and economic brilliance, but not for his diplomacy," economist David Jones of the bond house Aubrey G. Lanston and Co. told Reuters.

Yet Summers has overcome this challenge, Delong said.

"He was extremely good at making people who work for him feel valued,"

Delong said. "He could get the most out of them."

Indeed, the political positions held by Summers have provided him with

valuable managerial and policy experience--but in the world of academia, political affiliations are sometimes a liability.

Summers experienced perhaps the largest setback of his career when a memo of his was leaked to the press. In the memo, Summers suggested "encouraging the migration of the dirty [high polluting] industries to the LDCs [Less Developed Countries]."

And crises followed Summers to the position of treasury secretary.

The Asian financial crisis and the Mexican bailout were both high-stakes political controversies that played out during Summers' time as a top policymaker. But Kamarck said none of these controversies hurt him personally. "He took a lot of grief, but no personal hits," she said. "When someone can come through something like the Mexican bailout without permanent scars, it's testament to their ability."

The Leader

Summers' stint away from academics, colleagues with Harvard connections say, is what makes him a good candidate for the Harvard presidency.

They see him as a candidate who combines the intellectual credentials of his career as an economist--he was the first in his profession to win the National Science Foundation's top prize for scientific achievement--with the managerial aptitude he gained in the administration.

Elaine C. Kamarck, senior policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore '69 and a lecturer at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, said that in some ways the structure of the Harvard administration resembles the structure of the Treasury Department.

University President Neil L. Rudenstine is known for spending long hours on meticulous searches. Delong also said that Summers' ability to pick good people is one of his greatest strengths. "For the part of the job that is spent in ad hoc committees making personnel decisions, he's the best you can possibly get--probably one of the best in the world," Delong said.

Equally strong, said Delong, would be his ability to plan for the University's future. Summers, he said, is a central thinker about the emerging New Economy and is deeply interested in the ramifications it will have for the world.

"In planning for the future of the University, Larry would be again among the best of the world. He's someone who can move resources into promising new areas, as opposed to merely following behind," Delong said.

--Staff writer David H. Gellis can be reached at gellis@fas.harvard.edu.

--Staff writer Kate L. Rakoczy can be reached at rakoczy@fas.harvard.edu.