It also came to light that two top Harvard investment managers sat on Harken’s executive board and held personal stakes in the company, creating further questions about Harvard’s involvement with the company.

Bush, who has recently criticized corporate wrongdoing by companies such as WorldCom and Enron, has had to answer questions about his own actions while serving on Harken’s board of directors.

The Center for Public Integrity, a Washington-based nonpartisan watchdog group, said that evidence points to Harvard as the likely buyer.

According to a book published by the center, a spreadsheet used by Ralph D. Smith, the Los Angeles broker who handled the sale for Bush, included the phone number of HMC, as well as the name of Michael R. Eisenson, a top investment manager for the University at the time.

Jack Meyer, the current president of HMC, dismissed claims that Harvard obtained Bush’s shares.

“We didn’t buy George Bush’s stock,” said Jack Meyer, who took over as president of HMC about two months after Bush’s sale.

ROTC Course Credit

For the first time in several years, cadets in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program will receive military credit for a Harvard course this fall.

ROTC officials approved credit for Government 1730, “War and Politics,” taught by Kaneb Professor of National Security and Military Affairs Stephen P. Rosen ’74.

The change does not represent a change in the position of Harvard’s opposition to the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on homosexuals.

By allowing “War and Politics” to count for ROTC credit as well as Harvard credit, the move will also eliminate a need—during at least one semester—for cadets to take their ROTC requirements as an extra class, said Col. John Kuconis, who commanded the Air Force ROTC detachment at MIT before retiring this summer. Kuconis worked with former cadet Brian R. Smith ’02 to win approval for the course.

“The students have a very hard load,” Kuconis said. “It’s a great deal for the students, and I think it’s a good deal for ROTC.”

Yasin Delivers ‘Jihad’ Speech

After more than a week of controversy about the title and substance of his Senior English Address, Zayed M. Yasin ’02 delivered a speech about personal “jihad” uneventfully at Commencement ceremonies in June.

In his speech, retitled “Of Faith and Citizenship,” from its original title “American Jihad,” Yasin spoke about the perceived contradiction between his Muslim faith and his American citizenship.