The Dumbing Down of College Presidents

In recent months, various articles in the national media have bemoaned the decline in the public roles and intellectual stature of college presidents. Citing former chief executives like Charles Eliot, Robert M. Hutchins, Daniel Coit Gilman, Clark Kerr, and Theodore Hesburgh, journalists and other observers are asking: Why are leaders like those individuals -- who transformed institutions, created new ones, provoked national debates, and advised U.S. presidents -- so rare today?

In a

Digital or Print Subscription

Already have an account? Log In Now.