Emerson’s interim Chief Financial Officer Robert Butler signed an open letter against President Donald Trump as the heat between the federal government and Harvard reaches a fever pitch. He was joined by nearly 300 business leaders in signing the letter that called for Congress and the Trump administration to reverse sweeping blows to research universities. This follows accusations from the administration that Harvard University failed to protect its Jewish and Israeli students from antisemitism, and repeated threats to cut all federal funding for the Ivy League school. Emerson is among a slew of schools also being investigated by the federal government for reports of antisemitism.
“As business leaders, we are deeply concerned about damage to America’s economy resulting from federal actions that impair U.S. research universities,” the letter stated.
The letter argues that public universities are the backbone of education, technological advancement, and financial prosperity in America, and that stripping federal funding deprives the institutions of the resources they need to educate the next generation of CEOs, doctors, and scientists.
“Since World War II, the federal government has made the strategic decision to invest in universities, anchoring U.S. leadership and competitiveness,” the letter read. “It’s an investment that has yielded extraordinary returns for the nation. Curtailing funding dramatically, conditioning research dollars on political criteria, restricting student visas, and targeting universities’ endowments and tax-exempt status will do nothing to address the real challenges that we believe universities must face.”
Included in the letter was a disclaimer indicating that the listed individuals are not signing as formal representatives of their respective organizations or businesses.
“As explicitly noted in the open letter, all signers are providing their support as individuals, not on behalf of their organizations,” a college spokesperson wrote in an email statement to the Beacon. “Many Emerson faculty, staff, and students add their names to open letters and petitions regularly, on diverse sides of issues and policies.”
Other university and college officials signed, including some from Williams College, University of Chicago, University of Hawaii, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, American University, and Carleton College. No other administrators from Boston or Massachusetts colleges or universities signed the letter.
Also notable among the signatories was LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, former American Airlines chairman Robert Crandall, and Weyco Group’s Tom Florsheim, as well as officials from Apple and Wells Fargo.
The initiative is spearheaded by the Leadership Now Project, a coalition of business leaders “committed to protecting democracy as a foundation for a thriving democracy and political stability,” according to their website.
According to a press release, Leadership has now filed an amicus brief in Harvard’s federal lawsuit alongside 18 universities, 25 Harvard student and alumni organizations, and several of Boston’s leading hospitals. The brief challenges Trump’s actions against Harvard, including a list of rejected demands to change hiring and admissions practices, arguing that these demands violate the First Amendment.
Tensions between Harvard and Trump began just shortly after inauguration day. A list of demands was given to Harvard, including requirements to end affirmative action in admissions and dismantle all DEI initiatives. Later, the Trump administration attempted to revoke the university’s ability to enroll international students. Threats to higher education funding have also been a primary target of the administration’s mission to cut wasteful spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
In late May, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its attempt to bar international students from enrolling. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the administration from issuing such a ban.
Other higher education institutions, like Columbia University, have agreed to the Trump administration’s demands in order to secure nearly $400 million in federal funding. The University of Pennsylvania also acquiesced to the administration’s demands after a heated back-and-forth regarding Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who had competed on the women’s team.
