There were no torches passed, gavels handed off or ceremonials of any sort on June 30 when outgoing President Neil L. Rudenstine left his Mass. Hall office for good. His replacement Lawrence H. Summers officially assumed the presidency on Sunday, July 1.

The first round of ceremonies were completed in advance of Rudenstines final week, with a wide array of Harvard groups toasting his tenure and commemorating his departure at events held in New York, Boston and Cambridge.

The official University welcome for Summers will be held off until his Inaugural gala, two days of events scheduled for Oct. 11 and 12. The official installation of Summers, a ceremony that will include an formal academic procession, has been set for 2:30 on Oct. 12 in Tercentenary Theatre.

Summers found several vacancies to be filled when he arrived in July. Most pressing is filling the position of the Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs, which Paul Grogan stepped down from in June.

Summers has been consulting with Washington friends and colleagues about their thoughts on the position.

Administration sources named Alan Stone, Columbia University’s vice president for public affairs, as a leading candidate heading into the final stretch.

Another key position was that of the Provost. Summers will retain the position, resurrected under Rudenstine, but administrators say that the role of the provost under Summers is an open question. Summers began work on the search, and a some decision on the position was expected by mid-fall.

Summers must also select deans for the Graduate School of Education and the Divinity School and will immediately step into the sometime contentious tenure process, in which he will he holds final say.