New Britain herald., 1922-09-20
HARVARD CHANGES
 ENTRANCE RULES
New Question Blanks Show
 Change Of Attitude


 charge that their new form of appli- cation for admission to the college is another drive to keep out Jews or those of other nationaltes that they believe do their institution no good. | This is the first time in two cen- turies and a half that an applicant for admission to Harvard has been required to state his race and color as well as his religious preference.
 Also the student is requested to state the birthplace of his father and make known what change, if any, has been made in the family name or that of himself.
 These questions are all new to the customary form of application for ad- mission to Harvard and there are several others not of such a personal nature.
 Prof. Henry Pennypacker, chair man of the committee on admission, who is in general charge of the word- ing of the application blank, said the intention in asking such intimate in- formation was not so much as a mat ter of record but for general informa- ton. Similar questions, he added, were asked by the army and navy as well as by many big business houses, high schools and secondary schools almost everywhere.
 Denies Anti-Jew Drive
 The appearance of the new applica- tion blank and its pertinent questions caused sensation, and although col lege opens Monday this was the prin- cipal topic about Harvard today. Last June President Lowell appointed a committee to study ways and means for sitting students by other than scholarship tests, but no decision has yet been reached. Sympathizers with the Jewish race say no word from this committee is necessary. that the com mittee on admission has done enough to bar any students or group of stu dents the authorities are desirous of keeping out through the introduction of the new application blank.
 The report of the Lowell investigat- ing committee will not be ready for consideration for several months Un- til that report is submitted it was of fcially announced that no action was to be taken for at least another year or until the incoming freshman class of 1923. This was the understanding after the meeting here of the Harvard board of overseers immediately after the Jewish agitation swept into the newspaper headlines all over the country last June.
 These present questions are said to be aimed at the Jewish students, whose proportion at the university is greater than that of any other race. Prof. Charles H. Grandgent, chairman. of the special committee appointed by President Lowell, declared upon his appointment late last June. "Conse quently," he added then, 'the problem of restricting Jews, if 1t is necessary to restrict, is the greatest"
 "Of course, it is desired" he said, that all the questions be answered. None is absolutely compulsory. Some boy may say quite fairly that he does not know what his religious prefer ence is It Is not compulsory that that question be answered, but if boy does not know whether his fam fly changed its name or not that is m element of information about the boy. It may be then there are many other things about his family he does not know" ...".
 Would failure to answer these questions at all constitute grounds for rejection for admission to the col lege?"
 NO, not at all" Prof. Pennypacker answered.
 Asked what the purpose of the questions is, Prof. Pennypacker re- piled that they are intended to get ampler information about the boys
 Needed For Government
 We have had requests from the United States department of com merce," he added, asking us this very information about our students. We have been unable to furnish the in- formation. It would be unfair to say that this has anything to do with race discrimination or the Jewish question.
 "It was done for the purpose of get ting additional data. The forms were decided upon last January, long be-  paper discussion"
 Some Leading Questions
 The inclusion of the new queries ts not anticipating the work of this com mittee and does not affect the state ments made by Prof. Grandgent, ac- cordng to Prof. Pennypacker. The query with reference to the change in the name of the applicant either by himself or his parent is requested to be explained fully in a paren- thesis. There follows also the ques- ton of asking the applicant to state the birthplace of his father
 Other questions which are new are:
 What are your chief interests, whether connected with your school work or outside of it?"
 What sports or games do you espe cially like?"