Latest news with #HarvardCorp.
Boston Globe
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Harvard picks conservative lawyer to serve on powerful board
'His deep devotion to Harvard and to the importance of academic values and academic freedom was abundantly clear during our conversations as part of the search process,' according to the statement, which was signed by Harvard president Alan Garber and Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker. Advertisement Harvard Corp. and Pritzker, have come under intense scrutiny since October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, sparking the Jewish state's retaliatory response in Gaza. Critics including investor and alum Bill Ackman have assailed the board for its response to antisemitism on campus, as well as for selecting Claudine Gay as president, who was forced to resign months into her tenure after a plagiarism scandal and her disastrous testimony before Congress. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up More recently the board has drawn supporters and detractors for the school's decision to challenge the Trump administration in court. The government has pulled almost $3 billion in federal funding and tried to ban the school from enrolling foreign students, an order blocked by a federal judge. The administration has also chided Harvard for its left-leaning bias. Pritzker is a former Commerce Secretary under President Obama and sister to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Other members of the 13-member board include KKR & Co. Co-CEO Joseph Bae and Kenneth Frazier, the former chief executive officer of Merck & Co. Advertisement
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Harvard on Fire: Ackman Demands Entire Board Resign in Explosive Showdown
Bill Ackman (Trades, Portfolio)'s not letting up. The Pershing Square boss just lit another fire under Harvard Corp., calling for the entire board to resign. Why? In his view, they've overseen the slow-motion collapse of a once-revered institution. He blasted the university's leadership on X, saying only a total overhaul can fix what's broken. This follows fresh allegations from conservative activist Christopher Rufo, who claims Harvard may have crossed legal lines with race-based hiringa claim that's landed right as the school wrestles with the U.S. government over frozen federal funding. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with MRK. The spotlight now shifts to Penny Pritzker, chair of the Harvard Corp. and former U.S. Commerce Secretary. Ackman's made her the new face of Harvard's dysfunctionaccusing her of mismanaging finances, botching relations with D.C., and letting antisemitism fester on campus. His campaign already helped oust former president Claudine Gay. But even with Alan Garber now leading the school, Ackman says nothing meaningful will change unless the boardloaded with finance and pharma heavyweights like KKR & Co. (NYSE:KKR) co-CEO Joseph Bae and former Merck (NYSE:MRK) CEO Kenneth Fraziersteps down. This isn't just ivory tower drama. Harvard's endowment, its ties to powerful public companies, and its increasingly politicized brand could become collateral damage. Investors may start paying closer attention to how boardroom reputations, governance standards, and elite institutions intersectespecially when a high-profile activist like Ackman brings the heat. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
