Evening star., 1923-04-10
Harvard OPPOSES
ANY RACIAL LINES
Overseers Vote Unanimously
Against Drawing Color or
Religious Questions.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, April "
The board of overseers of Harvard
has voted unanimously that in the
administration Of rules for admis-
sion Harvard College maintains its
traditional policy of freedom from
discriminate on grounds Of race
or religion"
The vote was taken after the board
had accepted the report OF a COM
mittee appointed last year to con-
slider and report to the governing
boards principles and methods for
more effective sitting of candidates
for admission to the university"
The board further voted to com
mend other recommendations of the
committees report to the carefui
consideration Of the faculty OF arts
and sciences, with the request that
mission TO Harvard College adopted
by the faculty be presented to the
governing boards for approval.
Another vote of the board OF over
seers dealt with the question OF ad-
hitting negro students to freshman
dormitortes. It's conclusion was that
men OF the white and colored races
shall not be compelled to live and
eat together, nor shall any man be
excluded by reason of his color.
Adopts Nine Recommendations.
In its report the so-called "sift-
ing committee" made nine recon-
mendations, constituting q unified
ptan Of admission. These included
the following:
That in the administration OF
rules for admission Harvard Col
lege maintain its traditional policy
OF freedom from discrimination on
grounds of race or religion.
That as general policy, trans
fer of students from other colleges
be confined to such candidates as
have lacked opportunity to prepare
themselves for admission by the
usual methods.
That no candidate be admitted
whose examination IN EngIsh i go Goms
not to apply to candidates for whom
English IS a foreign tongue.
Proposes Entrance Change.
That. as an experiment the fol-
| lowing notifications be introduced
in the published shed re9uirements sa,a s.+fs FOR
| factorily completed an approved
school course. such as is outlined in
the description of the new plan and
whose scholastic rank places them In
the highest seventh of the boys of
their graduating class, may, If recon-
! mended by their school. be admitted
TO the college without examination.
This method of admission is intend
ed to facilitate access to college by
capable boys from schools which do
not ordinarily prepare their pupils
for college examinations. The col
legs records of students thus admit
ted will be scrutiniZed with view
to determining the expediency of ex-
tending. restricting or abolishing the
practice"
Dealing with certain aspects Of its
work, the committee said in its re-
port:
Foremost, by reason Of publicity and
apparent urgency, among the matters 10
be examined by your committee was the
question of racial proportion In the
student body. The committee be-
lieyes that If the intellectually unfit can
be eliminated and If our entrance re-
quirements can be adjusted to the work
Of good schools now sending men 10
Harvard College, our whole problem
can be met; and that the student body
will be properly representative OF all
groups in our national lie.
Favors Equal Chance.
Concerning proportional representa-
ton, your committee Is unanimous IN
Recommending that no departure be
made from the policy that has so long
approved itself-the policy OF equal op-
portunity for all. regardless or race and
religion. Any action liable to interpre-
4
| pies Of racial discrimination would 10
many seem like a dangerous surrender
| Of traditional ideals.
| Under the circumstances the intro
| duction Of any novel process Of scrutiny
seems inexpedient. Even so rational a
method as a personal conference or an
Intelligence test, If now adopted here
as a means of selection. would inevitably
| be regarded as q covert device to elm
mate those deemed racially or socially
| undesirable and however fairly con-
| ceived and conducted, could not fail TO
arouse damaging suspicion"
The following vote, passed on
March 26 by the corporation OF Har-
ward College, was presented this
afternoon by the president to the
| mously concurred in by the board:
+; Voted, that up to the capacity of
I the freshman halls all members Of
/ the freshman class shall reside and
those who are permitted by the dean
/ of Harvard College to live else
/ where. In the application of this
rule men of the white and colored
races shall not be compelled to live
and eat together, nor shall any man
| be excluded by reason of his color"
| Changes I'm Curriculum.
| unified plan of admission are:
THAT insistence be stricter on full
! compliance with the published re-
! uuirements for admission.
| That the number of satisfactory
| grades under the old plan be raised
! from five to six, announcement be-
| ing made that d greater increase is
! likely in the near future.
| THAT the question of discontinuing
| the old plan be raised after the
+, above regulations shall have been in
| force long enough to permit study OF
| their results.
That Italian be recognized as an
| admission subject on q par with
Spanish.
That botany and zoology be added
to the list Of elective subjects under
, the new plan"