President Clinton appointed Glickman as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in March 1995, a post which he held until Clinton’s term ended in 2001.
Since then, Glickman has been working in Washington as a partner in a law firm that deals with public policy.
Glickman said he became excited about the job once he heard of Pryor’s resignation and, after speaking with faculty at the Kennedy School, submitted his resume for consideration.
Glickman said he hopes to bring to the IOP nearly 25 years of experience in civil service and skills as a “listener and consensus builder.”
He also said his tenure in the Agriculture Department won’t influence his agenda.
“Someone asked me if I would be planting soybeans in Harvard Yard,” Glickman quipped. “But I assured him nothing like that would happen.”
Glickman said he plans to visit Harvard next month to speak with staff and students before he assumes the position in August.