He referred to the English department, a quarter of whose tenured faculty was female, as a “damn matriarchy.” At his urging, the university successfully sued to have the faculty union overturned. He had honorary degrees awarded to such controversial figures as El Salvador’s Jose Napoleon Duarte and Zulu chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

Pictured: Philippine President Corazon Aquino and Boston University President John Silber laughed during speech in 1986.