April 12, 2002

Cornel West Still at Harvard; American U. of Paris Picks a President; Sham Search at Southern Miss.?

By THOMAS BARTLETT and JULIANNE BASINGER

JUMPING THE GUN: Princeton University declared victory last week in its very public bid to snatch Cornel West, the African-American-studies professor, from Harvard University.

Only one hitch: It wasn't true.

A statement by Colin A. Palmer, the interim director of Princeton's African-American-studies program, was mistakenly faxed to an Associated Press reporter by Mr. Palmer's secretary. "We salute Prof. West on his wise decision to return to Princeton," the statement