“Even if he’s saying good things, it seems a little too much like Washington and playing to the media, and faculty just generally don’t like that, even if it’s serving good causes,” one professor says. “And here, some of the causes they don’t agree with.”

Summers says his criteria in picking his battles is to find issues of importance to higher education.

“With respect to other public controversies that have a partisan nature and do not have a nexus with the university, I don’t think it’s appropriate for university presidents to comment,” he says.

Summers is cautious about proselytizing even in the most informal arenas on campus—and even when his political views as a former cabinet member in a Democratic administration might seem relatively obvious, he consistently declines to comment on President Bush’s economic policy, only making occasional veiled references to his presumed disapproval.

He agreed to address a student’s question about his views on the war in Iraq only “off the record” at an open Mather House study break in April.

When asked about the relationship of the United States and the U.N. at a Winthrop House study break, Summers asked, “Is anyone covering this for The Crimson?” Only when the answer was “no” did he address the question, noting that over the past few years the United States has made large tactical errors that have resulted in losing the world’s sympathy gained after the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a student who attended.

Reischauer says it’s tough to strike a balance between being outspoken and being radical.

“It would be unrealistic to say that there are no constraints on an individual in Larry’s position,” Reischauer says. “He is representing a great and diverse institution—that’s his day job, which you don’t want to jeopardize. At the same time you don’t want to forgo an opportunity to make the world a better place.”

Finding the right level of publicity is no easy task for a Harvard president, according to former Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles.

“The so-called ‘bully pulpit’ is a chain around the neck of any president,” said then-Dean Knowles upon Summers’ arrival in 2001. “Say too much, and you are excoriated for exploiting the Harvard name for a personal—or even an institutional—agenda. Say too little, and you’re accused of failing to use the opportunities that your position provides.”

Summers’ predecessor Rudenstine was assailed for his lack of presence with students. And he certainly kept a lower national profile than Summers, spending much of his time fundraising.

But Rudenstine insisted that it was the key to his internal University successes.

“Otherwise, you really begin to substitute communications and media relations for the true business of the institution,” he said as he left office. “That would be a disaster.”

Disaster or not, Summers has certainly built a “communications and media relations” machine at the University, expanding the role of the Office of News and Public Affairs and hiring—for the first time in Harvard’s history—a personal spokesperson.

In part, that’s because Summers brought nearly unmatched recognition into the job. In part, it’s because he’s the president of the world’s most famous university. (Summers gets 40 to 50 media requests each day, according to his handlers in the news office.)