The Club of Eight

With a new man in the Wheelock Succession, Harvard President Derek Bok, in office since 1971, inherits from John Kemeny the longevity cup for the Ivy League. When Dartmouth's McLaughlin is inaugurated in June, he will become the third new Ivy president to take office within a year. Only two others are undergraduate alumni of the institutions they now head; five, including McLaughlin, hold advanced degrees from those universities.

Here is the line-up, in order of seniority, by academic discipline, baccalaureate and advanced-degree alma maters, immediately previous position, and the year each took office: Harvard Derek C. Bok; law; A.B. Stanford, LL.B. Harvard; Harvard law dean; 1971.

Princeton William G. Bowen; economics; A.B. Denison, Ph.D. Princeton; Princeton provost; 1972.

Brown Howard R. Swearer; political science; A.B. Princeton, Ph.D. Harvard; Carlton president; 1977.

Cornell Frank H. T. Rhodes; geology; B.S. and Ph.D. University of Birmingham (England); University of Michigan academic vice president; 1977.

Yale A. Bartlett Giamatti; English and comparative literature; A.B. and Ph.D. Yale; Yale professor and college master; 1978.

Columbia Michael I. Sovern; law; A.B. and LL.B. Columbia; Columbia law dean; 1980.

Pennsylvania Sheldon Hackney; history; A.B. Vanderbilt, Ph.D. Yale; Tulane president; 1981.