The department has just concluded a national search to fill a junior post in American history. After reviewing more than 200 applications, the department extended an offer to Ronald W. Yanowsky, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California at Berkeley and an expert in late 19th and early 20th century social and cultural history.

And the department has made strides in strengthening its European and Asian wings. The department recently lured to Harvard five senior scholars, including David Blackbourne in modern German history, Chris Jones in ancient history, William Kirby in Chinese history, Mark A. Kishlansky in British history and Michael McCormick in medieval history.

And James Hankins, the department's senior tutor and an expert in the Renaissance, was recently promoted to a full professor of history.

Bisson says he has made tenuring more junior faculty members a goal of his chairship.

The situation for junior faculty members has also somewhat improved, according to Arnesen. Among the gains that junior professors have achieved is the right to sit on committees reviewing applications for junior posts.

But Arnesen and several other department members say there are still gains that need to be made.

"The department has recently made new appointments, but all things considered, it's moving at a glacial pace," says Arnesen.

But Fleming says the department cannot capitulate to pressure and make hasty appointments.

"You can't appoint someone who will disappoint students when he gets here," Fleming says.

Yet, little has changed in the department's American wing, according to some department members. The department still lacks a senior scholar in modern American history.

Brian Balough, a junior scholar in 20th century American history, left to accept a lifetime appointment at the University of Virginia. Arnesen himself will leave this spring for a tenure-tracked position at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Bisson says the decision not to offer Arnesen tenure was based on reservations expressed by some members of the department about Arnesen's work, including his newly published book, Waterfront Workers of New Orleans: Race, Class and Politics 1863-1923, which won the James H. Dunning Prize.

The prize is awarded to a young scholar for outstanding writing in his or her first or second work.

Recently, the department lost two prominent American scholars to retirement, Warren Professor of History emeritus David H. Donald and Loeb University Professor emeritus Oscar Handlin. In addition, there has been talk that Bailyn plans to retire in two years.

And in 1987, the department denied two popular junior professors tenure. Then Dunwalke Associate Professor of History Alan Brinkley, whose course, "America since 1945: `The American Century'" regularly drew close to 1000 students to Sanders Theatre, was denied a promotion in a vote that sharply divided the department.