“I think it would be good for him to speak out from time to time, on economic issues,” Rubin says.

Summers says his public stances—frequently on national issues—do not represent political stances, instead marking important advocacy for higher education or areas of Summers’ academic expertise.

“I feel that having been here a little longer I have probably been more active in speaking on public issues kinds of broad public concern in higher education this year than in the first two years of my presidency,” he says.

But one administrator says that while he does not seem to be interested in Washington, he would strive to give off that appearance even if he were so inclined.

“He sees people, but he doesn’t give the impression as somebody who’s trying to keep his Washington contacts so that he might go back there,” the administrator says. “If he were doing this, he wouldn’t want people here to know—because Summers is himself aware of this speculation, he’s being very careful. If he had any intention or aspirations of that sort, he would not show it to anybody and go out of his way to avoid it.”

Reischauer says he thinks Summers seems to be having a “good time” as the president of Harvard, and while he’s sure Summers is on many insiders’ short lists to replace Greenspan, the issue has not been discussed by the Corporation.

“My view is he has a better job now—my guess is he feels that now,” Reischauer says. “This is a fellow who’s already been in the cabinet. A lot of people would argue that the job of Treasury secretary...is a lot more interesting than Chairman of the Fed.”

Rubin adds that he doesn’t think that Washington is “where his focus has been” recently.

While Katz notes that Summers, due to his economic preeminence, is an obvious candidate for Kerry to look to, he says he doesn’t believe Summers will take a political position.

“His very long-term future is at Harvard,” Katz says.

But Rubin also says that much lies ahead for Summers. “I think he’s got a lot left in him,” he says, adding that he has “no idea what [Summers] is going to do” after Harvard.

Summers declined to comment on whether he would accept another Washington job if offered it.

“I love my job and I love it more than I did two years ago,” he said.

Of course he does: he’s recast his image from the “bull in a China shop” of the Cornel West era to the educational visionary of today, gaining publicity and shedding critics along the way.

And that combination of shrewd self-projection and political endurance is exactly what makes him such an attractive candidate to be Chairman of the Fed.

—Staff writer Stephen M. Marks can be reached at marks@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Lauren A. E. Schuker can be reached at schuker@fas.harvard.edu.