For fifty years Lawrence H. Summers has been a part of Harvard University. He started as a graduate student then became a professor, the president and finally a big name in economics.. On Wednesday his time at Harvard came to a quiet end.
Harvard said that Summers will retire from his job at the university at the end of this school year. This means he will not be teaching or advising students anymore. The reason for this is because of his emails with Jeffrey Epstein, who was a person.
A Quiet Exit After Decades of Influence
Summers is also stepping down from his leadership role at the Harvard Kennedy School. This happened after the university looked at some documents from the government. Summers has been on leave since November. Now he is really done. He will never go back to the classroom. Advise students again.
Summers delivered a speech stating that he struggled with this decision. He wants his achievements, rather than the ‘bad things,’ to define his Harvard tenure. Expressing deep gratitude for his former students and colleagues, he is now shifting his focus toward research, eager to work without the constant worry of job security.
Harvard was very clear about why Summerss leaving. A spokesperson for the university Jason Newton said that it was because of the documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The Emails That Broke the Status Quo
“The Department of Justice and several congressional committees released a large volume of documents.”These documents showed that Summers and Epstein were closer than people thought. They exchanged emails until just before Epstein was arrested again in 2019.
Some of the things in these emails were bad. Epstein called himself Summers “wingman”. Gave him advice on women. Summers also helped Epsteins friends meet people at Harvard even after Epstein did something in 2008. Some of the emails had language and insults which made people mad at Summers again.
Summers said he was sorry for being friends with Epstein. He said it was a mistake.. For many people at Harvard it was too late. They did not want him there anymore.
A Reckoning, for Elite Institutions
Summers is not the big name to lose his job because of Epstein. This week Richard Axel resigned from Columbia University for the same reason.
At Harvard people are relieved that Summers is gone. Some students are happy because they did not like him anyway. The university is trying to move on from this controversy. They do not want to be associated with Epstein
As Summers leaves Harvard he leaves behind a legacy. He was an economist but he made some bad choices. He will always be remembered for the company he kept. That is not a good thing. Read More
