Editor's Note: President Faust's recent book has been made into a documentary by Ric Burns:  "Death and the Civil War."  It will be shown on PBS stations this week.

Harvard President Drew Faust is the latest local academic to make an appearance onThe Colbert Report. She visited Colbert to discuss her book This Republic of Suffering: Death and the Civil War, which six-time Emmy award-winning filmmaker Ric Burns has turned into a documentary that will air tonight on PBS from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Of course, Colbert had to point out her Harvard ties, telling Faust, “You’re one of those smart people who Rick Santorum says that the GOP is never going to attract. Why are you so prejudiced against people who do not value education?”

Faust kept her composure, giggling the question off, even as Colbert jokingly accuses her of kicking all the conservatives off Harvard’s campus. When asked, “Is Harvard for dumb people?” All Faust says is, “It’s never dumb to get an education,” to which the audience responds by breaking out in applause.

The interview, although heavy on the history, is still humorous, and it’s nice to see the President in a primetime light. To hear what Faust has to say about the upcoming documentary — apparently the Civil War wasn’t totally a downer — check out the clip from The Colbert Report below.