Bowen chosen to lead Duke lacrosse probe

Former University president William Bowen GS '58 has been picked as one of two experts charged with investigating and reporting on Duke University's response to recent allegations of rape by members of its men's lacrosse team.

In a "Letter to the Duke Community" sent Wednesday, Duke president Richard Brodhead explained his reasons for appointing Bowen — along with former North Carolina Central University chancellor and NAACP official Julius Chambers — to the task of reviewing how the Duke administration handled the situation.

"I want to address the concern that my administration did not respond as quickly as we should have and to learn any lessons this episode can teach," Brodhead wrote. Both Bowen and Chambers were selected, according to Brodhead, for their "outstanding experience in higher education and civil rights."

"We've just decided that transparency is the way to go," John Burness, Duke's senior vice president for public and government relations, said in an interview yesterday. "President Brodhead thought it very important to think about people on the outside ... people of absolute integrity and genuine leadership."

After serving as Princeton's 17th president from 1972-88, Bowen is currently the president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Burness cited Brodhead's description of Bowen as the "dean of all American colleges" and Bowen's extensive experience in higher education, including his writings about college athletics, as reasons for Brodhead's choice.

Bowen has authored 19 books, including 2001's "The Game of Life: College Sports and Educational Values," in which he explores the role of student athletes at academically-selective universities and proposes necessary changes to the way university athletic programs are run.

Duke administrative officials hope that the duo of experienced outsiders will demonstrate the university's commitment to reaching an unbiased assessment of its actions in recent weeks. "The rumors are just running wild around here ... the latest set of allegations only reinforce the sense of history and anger about the racial issues involved," Burness said. "The president wanted people of this power who could come in and do an investigation and let the chips fall where they may."

The controversy at the heart of Bowen and Chambers' investigation involves a party in mid-March attended by up to 40 members of the Duke men's lacrosse team. It is alleged that a pair of hired strippers — both of whom were black — were verbally abused before one of them was taken aside by a smaller group of players and raped. The suspected attackers were all white. After these details were made public, the team cancelled the remainder of its season and its coach of 16 years, Mike Pressler, resigned.

Bowen and Chambers are expected to issue a report of their findings by May 15. "I believe there will be a report saying that the university acted responsibly," Burness added.