In a press release Wednesday, Summers described Hammonds as a leader of “vision and pragmatism.”

“Our goal is to make Harvard more welcoming and diverse, and in so doing to create a stronger and more excellent university overall,” Summers said. “I have every confidence that Evelynn Hammonds will take us a long way toward achieving that goal.”

Not all professors saw a need for the post. Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield ’53 said that Hammonds was charged with searching only for a particular brand of diversity.

“Professor Hammonds is a fine person, but the new position she occupies is a big mistake,” he wrote in an e-mail.

“‘Diverse’ means a feminist woman. There will be constant pressure to lower our standards, and indeed such pressure is already evident. This new position is very contrary to the interests of all departments of the faculty, who will now have more trouble making the appointments they want,” he wrote.

But Hammonds said she thought her post would serve an important role in plotting a long-term path for diversity at the University.

“For the first time the University will have someone in this position to really be able to make an assessment over a long period of time and monitor our progress on [diversity] issues,” Hammonds said.

Chair of the Committee on Ethnic Studies Kay K. Shelemay praised Hammond’s personal qualifications for the job.

“She has experienced, on the ground, a lot of the issues that she herself will be addressing, so I think she will do an excellent job,” Shelemay said.

Skocpol added that she thought Hammonds’ “credibility” and prior involvement in women’s issues made for an “excellent” appointment.

—Staff writer Natalie I. Sherman can be reached at nsherman@fas.harvard.edu.