Though no one has made an official statement, a high-ranking member of President Clinton's Administration is likely to join the University's faculty in the spring semester.
Last week, three different newspapers -- the Washington Post, the Chicago Sun-Times and the International Herald Tribune -- reported that David Gergen, special adviser to the president and the secretary of state, will leave the White House in January to join the University.
"David Gergen, the longtime Republican . . . has let administration officials know he'll call it quits in January to teach at Duke University," wrote Lois Romano in her column, "The Reliable Source," on Oct. 11.
Gergen's office denied that Gergen has made up his mind.
"He has never officially said to [the administration] that he is leaving," said Rebecca Springer, special assistant to Gergen, but added that he has considered making the move.
"There is definitely a good chance he will end up [at Duke] but no decision has been made," Springer said.
University officials said that although no official appointment has been made, they had offered Gergen a teaching position in the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy Studies.
"We have told him that we'd be delighted to have him," said William Ascher, director of the institute.
He said that as soon as the University receives a decision from Gergen, the department would arrange an appointment for him.
The likely scenario, Ascher said, would have Gergen teaching a course this spring on United States policy and the way in which it is constructed.
Gergen, who joined the Clinton White House in July 1993, also served under Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. He is said to have recently fallen out of favor with other Clinton officials and has been left out of recent major policy decisions. In July, Gergen moved to the State Department to serve as an adviser to Secretary of State Warren Christopher.
Gergen has a long-standing relationship with the University and the public policy department. Raised in Durham, his father taught at the University. His mother continues to reside in the area.
Gergen is a member of the Sanford Institute's Board of Visitors, an advisory board to the department. He has also tentatively agreed to serve on a panel during the weekend dedication of the Sanford Institute, to be held Dec. 1-3.
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