West, who is currently a professor of thephilosophy of religion in the Divinity School aswell as a professor of Afro-American studies, saidhe was pleased when he received a letter fromRudenstine a few days ago.
"I am grateful, delighted," he said. "There areso many profound professors who could have easilybeen named to the same position--Harvard is thatkind of place. It's a privilege to be on theFaculty."
West said that he hasn't yet considered whatadditional courses he will teach in his newposition. However, he said he plans to continue"doing what I love to do," which includesinterdisciplinary teaching.
Other departmental colleagues were equallypositive about the selections.
"They're both important figures in Americanintellectual life," said K. Anthony Appiah,professor of Afro-American studies and ofphilosophy.
Appiah added that he believes West and Wilsonare significant not just for their scholarly workbut for their teaching ability.
"University professorships are meant to reflectwork of the highest scholarly research," he said."That doesn't always go along with great teaching,but that seems to be the case here."
Merton said his appointment had emotionalsignificance for him, in addition to itsprofessional distinction.
"I come from an academic family, so it's anespecially meaningful thing to me," Merton said.His father is a University professor at ColumbiaUniversity, where he has been on the faculty for50 years.
Merton, who is currently Baker Professor ofAdministration at HBS, said he thinks he waschosen in part because his work helps bridge thegaps between a number of disciplines and schools.
University professorships honor "the idea ofresearch and teaching crossing both departmentaland disciplinary boundaries [because] those boundscan sometimes be artificial," he said.
Merton said his own work connects fields likeapplied mathematics, economics and social policy.
"The borders between public policy and publicfinance are becoming increasingly blurred," hesaid.
According to their original mandate, Universityprofessorships honor "individuals ofdistinction...working on the frontiers ofknowledge, and in such a way as to cross theconventional boundaries of the specialties.