Blum's specialty has been twentieth century American history. He has written five books-including Woodrow Wilson and the Politics of Morality, The Republican Roosevelt, The Promise of America, and From the Morgenthau Diaries-and edited several others.
For his work, Blum has been made a member of several honorary societies, including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Historical Association.
Few Contracts
In the 20 years since he left Harvard. Blum has maintained few contacts here. "There's been no continuing connection at all." he said. "I've only been back for events like the 25th reunion."
"I don't pretend to know much about Harvard any more," he added, saying that he will come to his first few Corporation meetings "having had no experience in some of the matters. "
Corporation members must spend every other Monday in Cambridge for regular meetings. Although Blum has re-arranged his teaching schedule to leave Mondays free, he said he hopes Corporation duties will let him continue his work as a writing historian.
Still a Yalie
"I am, after all, still a Yale professor. That may mean that I have to cross the field at half-time at football games."
Slichter has also been away from Harvard for many years, serving on the University of Illinois faculty since 1950. In 1968, he became professor of Physics at Illinois' Center for Advanced Studies.
Slichter-son of Harvard economist Sumner Slichter-came here as a member of the Class of 1945 and graduated magna cum laude in 1946. A year later he earned his A. M.. and in 1949 he received his Ph. D. During World War II he worked at the Underwater Explosives Research Laboratory at Woods Hole.
In 1961, Slichter returned to Harvard to take the Morris Loeb Lectureship. While here, he wrote Principles of Magnetic Resonance, a widely-praised text.
At Illinois, Slichter has built a reputation as a brilliant experimenter in solidstate physics. He recently won the Irvng Langmuir Prize in chemical physics, and last year he was vice-chairman of the President's Science Advisory Committee.
Like Blum, Slichter is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has also served on committees to visit physics departments at Harvard and Princeton.
New Statistics
Along with their unusual status as teachers on the Corporation, Slichter and Blum bring several other statistical changes. Replacing men who are both in their 60's, they lower the Corporation's average. Blum is 48, and Slichter will be 46 later this month.
Slichter also sets a record for farthest-west Fellow. Until Ohioan Calkins was chosen in 1968, all Corporation members had been from the Eastern seaboard.
Aside from its normal duties of managing Harvard's day-to-day affairs, one of the first major decisions the new Corporation will face is choosing a successor to President Pusey, who will reach retirement age in 1972.