Lawrence Summers on Women in Science

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Lawrence Summers' Remarks at the NBER Conference

WISELI's Response

Responses by Lawrence Summers and Harvard University

  • Letter of Apology – 1/19/2005
  • Harvard Announces Task Forces on Women Faculty and Women in Science and Engineering, Harvard Gazette – 2/3/2005
  • Opening Remarks at the February 15 FAS Faculty Meeting – 2/15/2005
  • Harvard Crimson: Coverage of the February 15 FAS Faculty Meeting – 2/16/2005
  • Letter to the Faculty Regarding NBER Remarks – 2/17/2005
  • FAS Dean Kirby, Letter to Alumnae and Alumni [from Anderkoo blog posting] – 3/1/2005
  • Harvard Crimson, Coverage of Lawrence Summers Controversy — Search the Crimson online archive.
  • Report of the Task Force on Women Faculty, May 2005: Executive summary; Full report; Outline of recommendations; Supporting data
  • Report of the Task Force on Women in Science and Engineering, May 2005: Executive summary; Full report
  • Statement on reports of Task Forces on Women Faculty and on Women in Science and Engineering by President Lawrence H. Summers and Provost Steve E. Hyman, May 16, 2005

Responses of Other Scholars and Organizations

  • Statement of the American Sociological Association (ASA) – 3/8/2005
  • John Hennessey, President, Stanford University; Susan Hockfield, President , Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Shirley Tilghman, President, Princeton University — “Women in Science: The Real Issue” – 2/12/2005 Also available in the Stanford Report
  • Denice Denton — President Summers’ remarks offer global ‘teachable moment’ – UC Santa Cruz Currents Online Vol. 9; No. 23 (Feb. 7-13, 2005)
  • Virginia Valian
  • Vita Rabinowitz — Letter to the Editor
  • Donna Nelson’s Response
  • Susan Hockfield, President , Massachusetts Institute of Technology — President Hockfield speaks out on issue of women in science and engineering – 1/25/2005
  • Janet Holmgren, President, Mills College and Linda Basch, President of the National Council for Research on Women
  • M.R.C. Greenwood, Provost and Senior Vice President, University of California — “Gender isn’t in the Science Equation,” San Jose Mercury News – 1/31/2005
  • Charlotte Fishman, Executive Director, Pick Up the Pace — What’s Law Got To Do With It? – 2/27/2005 by CommonDreams.org
  • AAAS – American Association for the Advancement of Science — Board Statement on Women in Science and Engineering
  • CSWP – Committee on the Status of Women in PhysicsLetter to the Editor of the New York Times – 1/19/2005 (See p. 10)
  • MentorNet News
    • MentorNet’s CEO Takes Leadership Role in Advancing Women in Science – February 2005
    • Responding to a Teachable Moment – January 2005
  • WEPAN (Women in Engineering Programs and Advocates Network), AWIS (Association for Women in Science) — Letter to the Editor of the Boston Globe, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Science, and the Chronicle of Higher Education
  • Anita Borg Institute — Chronicle of a Controversy
  • NOW (National Organization of Women) — Call for Resignation of Harvard’s President
  • US Senate Hearing — Senator Ron Wyden: Using Title IX to Ensure Equal Opportunity for Women in Math Science
  • The Why Files — Women in science: What are the obstacles?
  • Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart’s sixth grade class (part of an all-girls, independent, college-preparatory school serving students grades 5 through 12) — Sixth Grade Students Respond to Controversial Remarks Made by Harvard’s President Summers
  • “The trustees’ tipping point” – an online discussion hosted by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • “Sex Differences in Intrinsic Aptitude for Mathematics and Science: A Critical Review” – by Elizabeth S. Spelke of Harvard University.
  • The AAUP’s Committee on Women Responds to Lawrence Summers

Forum Discussions on Summers' Remarks

  • Edge: The Third Culture “The Science of Gender and Science – Pinker vs. Spelke: A Debate” &dnash; 5/16/2005
  • University of Wisconsin: Women in Science & Engineering Leadership Institute and Science Alliance “Women in Science and Engineering: What the Research Really Says” – 4/15/2005
  • Harvard University: Harvard Graduate School of Education “Impediments to Change: Revisiting the Women in Science Question” – 3/21/2005
  • Stanford University: Institute of Research on Women & Gender “Gender in Math, Science, and Engineering: Stanford Researchers Discuss New and Important Evidence” – 2/4/2005