Many scientists are married to other scientists, so you have to accommodate their needs, more so in this country than in Europe. It sets a tone that the university community enjoys, and I think it helps to create an environment where good science can flourish. Part of my task has been to avoid burdening the faculty with administrative tasks and to allow the investigators to concentrate on their science. I think so. It is an interesting process-the dynamics of an institution.
Most institutions have periods of ascent and periods of decline.
Harvard Medical School as a whole, for instance, has always been at the leading edge because it is so big, even if different departments at different times have gone into decline. But we are so small by comparison that mistakes can be critical-losing a few major laboratories can change the tenor of science on the whole campus. Excellence is a delicate flower. You really need to be sensitive to what is required to give people a sense of freedom and a sense that they are in an intellectual community that is supportive and stimulating. Money has come in, so we have had more appointments, and there has not been unpleasant competition between different research areas.