June 11, 2002

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) - Dartmouth's new athletic director resigned abruptly after questions were raised about his resume.

Charles Harris stepped down the day before he was to have been officially introduced as the school's new athletic director.

Dartmouth dean James Larimore said he received a call late Monday from one of Harris' previous employers, who said Harris had claimed on his resume to have a master's degree in journalism from the University of Michigan. In fact, he enrolled in the program but never completed it.

Larimore said he then spoke with Harris, who quickly offered to resign.

"I respect the decision he made,'' Larimore said Tuesday.

Larimore said Harris was frank with Dartmouth officials about his lack of a master's degree, although it was still listed on his resume. However, Harris admitted in his resignation letter that he had not been honest when applying for the earlier job.

Harris said he took full responsibility for "a failure to correct the record of years ago. I offer no defense. Notwithstanding my youthful exuberance to manipulate the facts in a very competitive market 24 years ago, the facts are what they are.''

College officials had planned to introduce Harris, who was hired last Thursday, at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. Instead, they announced Tuesday morning that Harris had resigned.

Harris was not present at a news conference called to explain the change and college officials would not say how he could be reached.

The resignation is the latest in a series that began in December, when George O'Leary, the former football coach at Georgia Tech, lost his job at Notre Dame within a week of his hiring. He falsely claimed on his resume that he had a master's degree in education and had earned three letters as a University of New Hampshire football player. He attended UNH only two years and didn't play in any games.

Last month, U.S. Olympic Committee president Sandra Baldwin resigned after admitting she lied about her academic credentials.

Larimore declined to say which former employer had called him.

Harris, who had been commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference since 1996, was named Dartmouth's athletic director after a nationwide search.

He was the athletic director at Arizona State from 1985 to 1996 and at Penn from 1979 to 1985. Officials at Penn said no questions were raised about Harris' resume during his time there.

Harris held a number of athletic administrative positions at Michigan from 1973 to 1979, from sports information and marketing to facilities and labor negotiations.

He also has been on numerous NCAA committees, including the men's basketball selection committee, the committee on financial aid and several negotiating committees for television contracts. In January, he completed a term as chairman of the NCAA Management Council, the most senior position held by anyone not a school president.