Professors: Man in Demand

Even while he was still Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, John W. Gardner was forever receiving feelers from universities casting about for new presidents. Since he announced his resignation from the Cabinet last January, the rush to his door has become a traffic jam. Besides being beseeched by publishers for book manuscripts and magazine articles, Gardner has received firm offers of four university presidencies, not to mention at least two dozen directorships of schools, foundations and corporations.

So far, Gardner has been chary about committing his talents to a single position. Instead, he has accepted jobs as a consultant to the Carnegie Corporation (of which he was president before becoming HEW Secretary in 1965), as a director of Time Inc., and as chairman of the national Urban Coalition, an amalgam of civic leaders dedicated to combating the ills of the cities. Last week the onetime college psychology instructor took on a university assignment as well. Starting next fall, he will be a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, commuting from Washington to Cambridge to consult with faculty members on urban affairs and deliver a series of biweekly lectures. In accepting the assignment, Gardner explained that he was "attracted by M.I.T.'s resources, commitment, and very broad reach in the urban field."