Clark's impressive leap of faith

In this day and age, a university president must wear a closetful of hats — administrator, banker, diplomat, cheerleader. And Brigham Young University-Idaho has a new man as president with an impressive array of chapeaus.

Kim B. Clark, dean of the Harvard Business School, has accepted the Idaho post — a position being temporarily filled by Robert M. Wilkes since Elder David A. Bednar was called to the Council of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Clark, who has a doctorate in economics from Harvard, has served as an LDS bishop; has spearheaded initiatives at Harvard that reach into Asia, Europe and Latin America; and has served as a director for Black & Decker Corp. and JetBlue Airways.

The fact such an accomplished soul would — in the words of church President Gordon B. Hinckley — "trade the halls of Harvard for a view of the Grand Teton Mountains" — should be an obvious sign to BYU-Idaho students and faculty of the man's humility and his personal priorities. He is, to the core, a man of integrity and faith. Ironically, his brain-trust Harvard colleagues were much more befuddled by his decision than BYU-Idaho freshmen.

At his new school, Clark will not only have many hats to wear but will have many irons in the fire. BYU-Idaho is looking to further its stature as a four-year institution. The new president's guidance in that area will be golden. His reputation should also extend the drawing power of the school and heighten its credibility. Without a major athletic program to shepherd, Clark will also be able to dedicate himself to his strengths — business, education and religion.

As Utah knows well, there is tremendous competition among institutions of higher learning for charismatic presidents who can be the public face of a school. In the secular world, BYU-Idaho's landing of Clark looks like a coup. From within the LDS religion, however, it looks more like a call.

Still, Clark is hardly entering the backwaters of American education by entering the LDS education system. The presence of so many former university presidents in LDS leadership speaks not only to the importance of education, but to the quality of education in the church. From the "halls of Harvard," Kim B. Clark will now join such high-powered — yet humble — ranks.

Indications are he will fit in perfectly.