Bacow holds three degrees from Harvard—a J.D., an M.P.P, and a Ph.D in Public Policy.

Sexton, a Supreme Court and First Amendment Scholar, will become the 15th president of NYU in May 2002.

Praised for his achievements at the law school, Sexton is credited with recruiting top legal minds to join the faculty, expanding the role of technology in the classroom and wide fundraising successes.

Martin Lipton, chair of NYU’s board of trustees, said in a statement that Sexton was the obvious choice.

“Throughout our consultations, both internal and external, a recurrent theme emerged: a universal recognition of and unswerving confidence in John’s excellence as a candidate for this post. His reputation as a scholar, his manifest love of teaching, his knowledge of the special history and attributes of this institution, his outstanding management skills, and his focus on the building of academic communities marked by genuine intellectual exchange between students and faculty make him an ideal choice,” he said.

Sexton said that NYU is at a pivotal point in its history.

“As proud as we can be of what has occurred over the last 20 years, we are on the brink of a major breakthrough. There now exists the possibility of creating a ‘category change’ in this University and the way it is perceived. This possibility exists precisely when such forces as globalization and technology are transforming universities and the societies of which they are a part,” he said in a statement.