Lee Elected Harvard Corporation Member

A successor to departing Senior Fellow James R. Houghton

William F. Lee

William F. Lee '72 (J.D.-M.B.A. Cornell '76), co-managing partner of the WilmerHale law firm, has been elected to the seven-member Harvard Corporation, the University's senior governing board. He will fill the position now held by  James R. Houghton '58, M.B.A. '62, senior fellow of the Corporation; Houghton announced last December that he would step down at the end of this academic year, June 30. Lee, who had served as an elected Overseer, was vice chair of the Overseers' executive committee, the second-ranking position, during the 2007-2008 academic year. In that capacity, he served on the search committee that selected Drew Faust as Harvard's twenty-eighth president. Given his recent Overseer experience, he comes to his new responsibilities with relatively fresh exposure to the University's challenges and opportunities, during a period of sustained financial stress caused by the $11-billion depreciation of the endowment during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, and other losses related to investments and the funding arranged for construction (now suspended) in Allston.

The Corporation succession has attracted particular interest because, as reported, it comes at a time when the University's senior governing body is analyzing its operations and perhaps considering reforms ("The Corporation Changes," Harvard Magazine, March-April, page 52).

Lee's experience as an Overseer may be pertinent as the Corporation, which is self-appointing, considers how better to work with the larger, junior governing board; how to gather information more widely; and how to communicate with the University's diverse constituencies. "Self Improvement," a comment in the forthcoming May-June issue of Harvard Magazine, outlines some of the governance challenges facing the Corporation and management challenges facing Harvard's leadership; it should reach mailboxes by the final week of April, and should be available online by the middle of the April 19 week (see the John Harvard's Journal section). For an earlier roundtable discussion on University governance, including the views of two former Corporation members, see "Governing Harvard," published in the May-June 2006 issue.

In his law practice, Lee specializes in intellectual property and commercial litigation. He has served on the visiting committees to both Harvard Law School and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and was a member of the committee that investigated relations between the Harvard University Police Department and the wider community, following complaints about the department's interactions with members of racial minorities. 

The official news announcement of Lee's appointment appears here.  

You might also like

Three Harvardians Win Macarthur Fellowships

A mathematician, a political scientist, and an astrophysicist are honored with “genius” grants for their work.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences Zeroes In on the Classroom Experience

Class schedules and academics are at the top of the agenda for Harvard faculty.

Harvard Football: Harvard 59, Holy Cross 24

Another week, another blowout, this one against an in-state rival

Most popular

What Trump Means for John Roberts’s Legacy

Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.

Human Impact On New England Ecology Was Minimal before Europeans Arrived

Before Europeans arrived in New England, local ecology was driven by climate shifts, not by human interventions.

This Harvard Scientist Is Changing the Future of Genetic Diseases

David Liu has pioneered breakthroughs in gene editing, creating new therapies that may lead to cures.

Explore More From Current Issue

Will Makris in blue checkered suit and red patterned tie standing outdoors by stone column.

A New Haa President at a Tumultuous Time

A career in higher ed inspired Will Makris to give back.

Johnston Gate

Your Views On Harvard’s Standoff, Antisemitism, and More

Readers comment on the controversial July-August cover, authoritarianism, and scientific research.

James Muller in white lab coat leaning on railing in hospital hallway.

Free Speech, the Bomb-and Donald Trump

A Harvard cardiologist on the unlikely alliances that shaped a global movement to prevent nuclear war