Herbert S. “Pug” Winokur ’64-’65—who was a director of Enron throughout its catastrophic collapse—announced his resignation Friday from the Harvard Corporation, effective at the end of June.

In a letter to University President Lawrence H. Summers released by the University, Winokur said he was concerned that his role with Enron was “diverting attention from your agenda for Harvard and from the important work of the Corporation and the University.”

The announcement comes as the Board of Overseers prepares to meet Sunday morning to rubber stamp the Corporation’s designated replacement for member Robert G. Stone Jr. ’45, who announced last December that he would retire at the end of the academic year.

Summers’ close personal friend and mentor Robert E. Rubin ’60 is said to be among those that were considered for the post. Rubin could not be reached for comment this evening.

The seven-member Harvard Corporation is the University’s chief governing board.

The announcement of Winokur’s resignation came without warning, at a moment when campus criticism of Winokur’s place on the Corporation had subsided.

A University official said Winokur and the rest of the Corporation had discussed Winokur’s Enron involvement on several occasions, and it became clear that Winokur would probably step down by the end of the year.

The official added that ultimately the Corporation members wanted to avoid the impression that they had forced Winokur to resign.

“The feeling was that he should not resign in the middle of [the controversy] when charges were really flying around,” the official said. “They didn’t want it to look like Harvard was deserting Winokur.”

Summers praised Winokur’s commitment to Harvard during his nearly two years on the Corporation.

“Pug Winokur has been an energetic and insightful member of the Harvard Corporation, and I am saddened by the circumstances that have prompted his decision to step down,” Summers said in a statement released Friday. “He has served Harvard with devotion and intelligence, and we owe him our gratitude for his valuable contributions to the governance of the University.”

While Summers has previously declined to comment on Winokur’s situation, he has said that serving on the Corporation requires a significant contribution of time and attention.

“It would certainly be true of any Corporation member that if they weren’t able to make the appropriate time commitment to the Corporation it wouldn’t be possible for them to serve on the Corporation,” Summers said in a February interview.

Winokur was called before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in early February to testify about his role as an Enron director during the company’s sketchy business dealings and subsequent collapse. He also testified regarding his participation in the company’s special committee for internal investigation formed after Enron’s collapse.

Winokur’s participation on this investigative committee drew the fire of members of Congress.