A Chair for Bolton?

When one-time UN ambassador Madeleine Albright finished, so far, her government service, her former place of employment—Georgetown University—welcomed her back with open arms. Will the school offer a similar berth to outgoing UN ambassador John Bolton?

The odds are against it. For one thing, Georgetown just gave Ambassador Bolton’s nemesis—outgoing UN General Secretary Kofi Annan—an honorary degree for “his remarkable leadership at a crucial time in the global community.” One of Annan’s last acts in office was to order a probe of corruption that had occurred at the UN under his watch.

Indeed, Annan, who has few kind words to say about the U.S. and fewer negative ones about most dictators, may be more welcome on most college campuses than Ambassador Bolton, who put a premium on human rights and American interests. Annan is a frequent flyer during Commencement season.

Georgetown did bring the late Jeane Kirkpatrick back to campus when her service at Turtle Bay in the Reagan years ended. But Kirkpatrick had taught at G’Town for years before entering the government, and as an active registered Democrat.

Indeed, while Georgetown has hired widely known lecturers with as much teaching experience as Ambassador Bolton they have mostly been former Democratic office holders or political appointees in Democratic presidential administrations. In this approach, Georgetown’s policies mirror those of most colleges and universities in America today.

Malcolm A. Kline is the executive director of Accuracy in Academia.