Abram Named President of Brandeis University, Succeeding Sachar

The Board of Trustees of Brandeis University today named Morris B. Abram, president of the American Jewish Committee, to the presidency of the University. Mr. Abram, who attended the Board meeting, immediately accepted the appointment. He will assume his new position at the beginning of the next academic year in September, the exact date to be announced later.

Mr. Abram will succeed Dr. Abram L. Sacher, president of Brandeis since 1948, who will become Chancellor of the university. Dr. Sacher, a scholar, historian and a prolific writer, is credited with having built the fledgling school, the first Jewish-sponsored university in the United States, into one of the country’s most respected institutions of higher learning. Under his administration, the student body grew from 107 to 2,461 at the beginning of the 1967-68 academic year.

Mr. Abram, a nationally known lawyer, is the senior advisor to the United States mission to the United Nations and is this country’s representative on the U.N. Human Rights Commission. His nomination for the presidency of Brandeis University was made by a special sub-committee of the Board of Trustees, established last September at the behest of Dr. Sachar when he announced his intention to resign. Mr. Abram was selected from a roster of 120 possible candidates.

Reports that Mr. Abram would be named president of Brandeis University have been current for several days. They appeared to be confirmed last night when he announced his decision not to enter the United States Senate race in New York this year. Earlier, Mr. Abram had indicated he might seek the Democratic nomination to oppose Republican Senator Jacob K. Javits, now concluding his second Senatorial term. Mr. Abram said he decided against a Senatorial bid as a result of President Johnson’s rejection of his advocacy of a softer line on Vietnam. His foreign policy views were, however, endorsed by both Vice President Humphrey and Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York.