The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-01-20
HARVARD BAN IS,
F|NAL---L0WELL
Hope Of Revocation Seen in Resent
ment Of White Alumni; Action
Not Before Board

Cambridge, Mass, Jan. 10 (Cru-
sader Service) That his decision to
bar colored freshmen from the dor
mitory where other freshmen are
forced to live by college regulations
is final is the latest statement from
President A. Lowell Lawrence.
The colored people have been
aroused by this action of President
Lawrence as over no like action of
other universities and colleges, be-
cause they have always looked upon
Harvard as a stronghold of liberal
sentiment towards them. President
Lawrence's action is ~ interpreted by
many as indicating the extent to
which the Ku Klux poison is pene-
trating into what were formerly the
most progressive and liberal parts of
the country.
Harvard men in New York and
throughout the country who hold sa-
cred the Harvard traditions of toler-
ance and fair play have voiced their
resentment over the Lawrence deci-
sion and have conferred with the
president in an attempt to influence
him to reverse his decision. His la
test statement quoted above is his
answer to their efforts. The situa-
ton has been aggravated by the fact
that the youth barred is the son of
Roscoe Conkling Pierce, himself a
colored graduate of Harvard and in
position to put up fight.
Action Never Before Overseers.
Foremost among recent develop
ments was the discovery that the
matter never has been put before or
acted on by the Board of Overseers
of the university. >.. =:
The Board Of Overseers is one of
the two governing boards of the in
stitution. The other is the corpora
tion," consisting Of the president and
fellows. Whether the matter has
been laid before or acted on by the
corporation could not be learned yes
terday. The question of which board
has the highest authority is one it
is said, that has never been settled
in 800 years, but joint action of both
boards is required on all important
matters.
The question of barring the fresh
men dormitories to colored students,
which has been. brought to a head by
the case of young Bruce, probably
will be taken up by the Board of
Overseers, but no member could be
reached yesterday who would discuss
it or give any opinion as to the prob
able attitude of the board.
The strength of the graduate pro-
test against what is declared to be
a departure from the university's his
toric tradition of tolerance is indi-
Gated by the fact that the memorial
drawn up by seven prominent gradu-
ates last June when other cases of
exclusion from the freshmen dormi-
tories were reported, had the sigma
lures of 1873 graduates, of classes
ranging from 1850 to 1920 when it
was presented to President Lowell.
Jim Crow the College"
Declaring the action would "Jim
Crow the College," the Rev. DR.. Will
liam Claiming Gannett of Rochester
yesterday gave out statement of
his views on President Lowell's &C.
ton. He said:'
81 think the proposed exclusion
policy at Harvard would violate all
traditions and certainly her best
ideals. In it's measure it would Jim
Crow the college. It would show her
siding with those disposed to in
crease rather than lessen the birth
burdens of the colored people in our
lane, and this at critical time when
inter-racial and international ques-
tions are pressing to the fore, de-
manding noble adjustment. Ideals of
justice and democracy are certainly
part of Harvard education.
"Nor do l believe the best element
O. in the South would be won by a
surrender of our Northern concep-
tion of such ideals to their social
preferences. AS proposed, it might
be but slight exclusion, the educa-
tional opportunity, as l understand
it, not being withheld, but it would
be great racial insult. undeserved,
and it is too late in history to do
such thing-above all, for Harvard,
with her record, TO do it. In less
than a generation we should all be
ashamed Of ito