“Everybody likes John, everybody trusts John,” said HLS Charles Warren Professor of Legal History Michael J. Klarman in an interview with The Crimson.
After serving as Harvard University’s Interim Provost since March, Harvard confirmed on Aug. 15 that John Manning ’82 will permanently retain his position. As political and social tensions surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict and the upcoming 2024 presidential election continue to remain at the forefront, this legal scholar arrives at a critical juncture.
This role comes after recently-named university president and former provost, Alan Garber ’76, was chosen to succeed former Harvard University president, Claudine Gay, following her resignation. During his time as Interim Provost, Manning spearheaded the creation of two critical forums: the Open Inquiry and Constructive Dialogue Working Group and the Institutional Voice Working Group. These initiatives sought to leverage faculty expertise to examine how open dialogue and University statements on public issues should be conducted.
In his letter to the Harvard community, Garber emphasized these projects, alongside Manning’s other accomplishments relating to academic and discourse-based freedom, to assert that Manning is “the right person for the moment in which we find ourselves.” Garber went on to express that Manning “has done an outstanding job maintaining momentum across broad academic activities while leading efforts to articulate, communicate, and uphold the values of the University.”
However, though a renowned legal scholar today, Manning could have pursued a career in acting rather than law. Manning’s mother, Sheila Manning was considered a “veteran casting director” for commercials, spotlighting John Manning from a young age along with now-famous celebrities Farrah Fawcett, Michael J. Fox, and River and Joaquin Phoenix. In an interview with The New York Times, Peter Lake, professor at Stetson University’s law school and friend of Manning confessed that Manning “could have had a Hollywood career if he wanted to do it.” Nonetheless, his commitment and passion for law led him down a different path.
While Manning’s credentials make him, on paper, qualified to take on this new role, instances like his refusal to answer if the HLS Religious Freedom Clinic’s opening would inhibit the rights of LGBTQ+ students prompt concerns about whether his political beliefs will overshadow the recent push for greater activism both within the student body and beyond. However, as writers from The Crimson in 2017 and 2024, The New York Times, and additional publications posited, his right-wing standing might be to the school’s benefit.
Anemona Hartocollis, NYT reporter covering higher education, wrote that Manning’s “reputation for diplomacy and conservative credentials might prove advantageous in his role as provost… as Harvard continues to face immense pressure from congressional Republicans who have criticized it for not doing enough to protect Jewish students during protests.”
And while, today, the radicalism of the Republican party spurs tremendous concern for some, in an interview with Hartocollis, Klarman clarified that, despite his conservative beliefs, “the takeover of the party by its MAGA wing led [Manning] to quit the party.”
However, regardless of his political affiliations, Manning has admitted to wanting “to foster a large community in which there are lots of different perspectives, approaches, and methodologies.” During his time on faculty at Harvard Law School (HLS), he exemplified this statement as he consistently encouraged open discourse and academic freedom regardless of his opinions.
Committed to the entire Law School community, upon accepting the position of Dean in July 2013, Manning jumped into building relationships and garnering feedback. Hosting lunches entitled, “Meals With Manning,” every week, Manning got to know his fellow HLS student-body and faculty while hearing their ideas on how to improve the school.
Looking to boost inclusivity, Manning was part of a task force that considered accepting the GRE in place of the LSAT for HLS admission. The law school passed this policy in the spring of 2017. Once a student was accepted into the Law School, wanting to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background and academic experience, felt prepared to tackle Harvard Law, Manning assisted in the creation of a self-paced, online law course called Zero-L in 2018. Heavily influenced by Manning’s status as a first-gen student, this program was taught by Harvard Law faculty and covered the baseline legal vocabulary and background on the American legal system. Expanding this HLS-focused initiative to a global program, Manning also spearheaded the creation of Harvard Law School Online to translate the legal expertise developed on the HLS campus worldwide. The platform still exists and includes online courses, specific programming, and open casebook resources.
Apart from his accomplishments as the HLS Dean, Manning’s history as a first-generation student at the University makes him a seemingly perfect candidate to work throughout the undergraduate and graduate levels. In an interview with the Harvard Gazette, Manning explained that he “felt nervous, but also determined. I had great teachers and classmates, and every class I took was mind-opening and exciting.” He continued to express that he got “to feel the sensation of [his] life changing in real time. It was amazing.” This position shaped his undergraduate experience.
As a former Quincy House penguin, Manning concentrated in History and ultimately graduated in 1982 summa cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Progressing from the College to the Law School, Manning graduated from HLS in 1985.
Following his graduation, Manning spent his early career as a law clerk. He spent eighteen months working in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit for Robert H. Bork before clerking for Supreme Court Justice and HLS alumni Antonin Scalia during the 1988 October term. Following these roles, Manning served in the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel and Solicitor General’s Office in private practice before becoming a professor at Columbia Law School in 1994. In 2004, he returned to Cambridge, where he has stayed since, to work as a professor at HLS.
As with any new leadership, there are pros and cons. Considering Manning’s political affiliations and the unique time period our nation finds itself in with the upcoming 2024 election amidst heavy international conflicts, it will be interesting to see how he leads Harvard over these next few months and in the coming years. However, his strong Harvard background will definitely serve as an asset.
Sara Kumar ’27 (sjkumar@college.harvard.edu) writes News for the Independent.