Who

The former governor of Nebraska and a former U.S. Senator, Bob Kerrey has been president of the New School since 2001.

Backstory

One of seven kids raised in a family in Lincoln, Nebraska, Kerrey earned a pharmacy degree before joining the Navy, serving as a SEAL during the Vietnam War where he was gravely injured when a grenade explosion resulted in the loss of part of his leg. Returning home in 1972, Kerrey, in partnership with his brother-in-law, founded the Grandmother's chain of restaurants and—perhaps to offset the caloric bounty of Grandmother's "snack attack" appetizers—a series of health clubs called Life Centers. Kerrey ran the businesses for a decade before entering the political fray. In 1982, he ran successfully for governor of Nebraska and traded up to the U.S. Senate six years later.

In 1991, Kerrey entered the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. When it was clear that his chances of winning were slim—and after it was revealed that Kerrey, who billed himself as a health care champion, had denied his own restaurant employees health insurance—he pulled out of the race. But he continued to earn respect on both sides of the political fence over the course of the '90s, spending two full terms in the Senate and racking up a fairly liberal voting record (by Nebraskan standards, at least) along the way. He left the political realm in 2001 to take up the post of New School president.

Of note

Kerry was a somewhat unorthodox choice when he was tapped for the New School job: He lacked the sort of educational credentials that typically accompany university presidents (his only degree is from pharmacy school) and his Midwestern roots made him an odd fit for a local institution like the New School. (Kerrey only moved to New York when he took the job). He quickly settled into the role, though, navigating the city's power establishment to beef up endowment and boost enrollment. He also managed to raise the school's profile considerably, even though a good deal of the attention wasn't particularly positive (see below).

These days many are wondering just how much longer Kerrey plans to stay in the job. In 2005, he publicly flirted with the idea of running for mayor in 2009 when Michael Bloomberg's second term is up; more recently, he floated the possibility of a campaign for Senate before backpedaling and saying he has no plans to pursue elected office again. Assuming he stays put, his contract at the New School runs through June 2011.

Drama

Just months after Kerrey's arrival at the New School, the New York Times Magazine ran a bombshell story about his participation in a massacre during the Vietnam War, which suggested that he and the soldiers under his command had been involved in the execution of unarmed civilians in a Vietnamese village. Kerrey claimed that the women and children had been caught in the crossfire and expressed regret for the incident, but fallout from the scandal prompted some students and faculty members to call for his resignation. (Kerrey later reflected on his years in the service in the 2002 book When I Was A Young Man: A Memoir.)

Kerrey has had plenty more controversy to deal with since then. His public support for the war in Iraq hasn't earned him many points with the left-leaning student body and faculty, and his ill-advised decision to invite John McCain to speak at commencement in 2006 sparked weeks of tension. When McCain appeared on campus to talk, a number of students held up signs and interrupted the commencement ceremony.

Keeping score

Kerrey takes home $446,700 a year from the New School.

Namedrop

The New School's board includes banker Nancy Peretsman, Michael J. Fuchs, Beth Comstock, Doug Durst, Beth Rudin DeWoody, and Stephen Swid. One person who will no longer be attending New School board meetings: Norman Hsu, the disgraced Democratic fundraiser who was forced to resign from the board in 2007.

Personal

After a short-lived marriage in the '70s that produced two children, Ben and Lindsey, Kerrey played the field for a few years before hooking up with actress Debra Winger, whom he met when she was filming Terms of Endearment in Nebraska. Kerrey is currently married to screenwriter—and former Saturday Night Live staffer—Sarah Paley. They have a son, Henry, and live in a brownstone in the Village paid for by the New School.

Off hours

Kerry lost his lower right leg in Vietnam and wears a prosthesis, but he can still be found jogging regularly along the Hudson River.