Harvard University - Red Book Yearbook (Cambridge, MA)

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I I Mili 28 L CIIAIILIGS SIDNEY lll'llWl'll.l, A.l4., NLD., l.l..lJ. IJ:-nn of the Faculty of Nledieim- and lh'sc-arch Professor of Clinif-nl Medicine lll'lN R Y CIIA l'NCl'IY A.1i. Assistant Dean of llurvnrrl College were not appointed because of their partnership in that firm, but for outstanding public achievements. As members of the Corporation, their sole interest was the welfare of Harvard, not the economic policy of any particular business. More a supervisory than directory committee, the Board of Overseers is composed of thirty members. According to the terms of the grant from the General Court, these members are elected by graduates for six year terms. Their seven 1'egular meetings each year are devoted to keeping the University in touch with alumni and to approve and to veto the acts of the Corporation. The old pun that the Ovcrseers overlook all that occurs at Harvard is no more than a pun. This body is a very efficient and smoothly functioning organization. Its membership is more diverse than that of the Corporation, for it is extremely representative professionally and geographically. At one time it was composed of the magistrates and ministers of six surrounding towns. Today it includes such prominent figures as William R.. Castle, Leverett Saltonstall, Bliss Perry, Charles F. Adams, Charles Poletti, William Tudor Gardiner, and Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. The Overseers, in addition to inspecting the college, form the link between the alumni, public, and Corporation, over whom they hold a veto power. The Harvard system of the Overseers approving the Corporation's appointments to the faculty is more satisfactory than if that body were to appoint its own mem- bers. Log rolling between departments is absolutely eliminated. The members of the department do not wish the responsibility of approving or rejecting the members of other departments, whereas the impartial judgment of the Over- seers is universally respected. The power of the ,Overseers is manifested when a new President of the University is to be chosen. The Overseers and Corpora- tion then meet simultaneously in separate rooms. The President carries the message from the Corporation to request tl1e Overseers' permission to elect a new president. The Overseers then grant the permission and the President returns to the Corporation, which has already its list of candidates. The whole proceeding is carried out with a good deal of solemn formality and represents one of Harvard's oldest traditions. President Eliot in his annual report for 1882-83 complained that the Overseers were too old. He sarcastically said in part such elderly men may be distinguished representatives of the Alumni, and may enjoy the advantage of advice from grandsons now or recently members of the University. This report was circulated before an irate Board of Overseers. To express its indignation, it voted that the President's animal report to the Overseers must be hereafter submitted to the Board before the printing, pub- lication, or distribution thereof. This rule still exists. It is interesting to note, however that the Overscers is an older body than it was in President Eliot's time. There were twice as many ovcrscers under fifty in 1883 as there were in 1938, and the average age had advanced three years. Today, more than half of the Overseers have been out of college for more than forty years. Chief ofheer of Harvard, member ex officio of both governing boards, and presiding officer of the Corporation is the President of the University. It is his job to exercise a general supervision over the whole institution. For handling all financial matters there are three subordinate officials: the Financial Vice Presi- dent assists the President in tl1e budgetary control over all departments in the University 5 the Treasurer, a member of both governing boards, is the custodian of Harvard property and makes all investments, the Bursar acts as general agent of the College and Graduate schools in receiving and disbursing money, settling term bills, and paying salaries. For the undergraduate, the most familiar part of the Administration is the Dean's Office, the sole agent of the faculty in dealing with every phase of under- graduate life except actual instruction. The Dean of Harvard and his assistants, known as the Chapter fa term first introduced by the late Professor Greenoughj meet every Tuesday morning. Deans Hanford and Leighton then appear before the Administrative Board, an elected group of faculty members, on Tuesday afternoons to D1'CS0lll3 the problems of the Chapter. The Dean's Office, contrary to misinformed opinion, employs no clandestine methods, no spy system to un- cover the student's personal life. All its information is supplied by the officers of the University. The so called baby-deans are an ever changing group of younger men. The average assistant remains less than five years. When a vacancy occurs, the Dean makes his recommendation by eliminating candidates from the long list of proctors, former student council presidents, and graduates interested in secondary school education.

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THE ADMINISTRATION INSTITUTED over three centuries ago to formulate and direct Harvard policies, the Corporation, Board of Overseers, and President are the backbone of University administration. The Corporation, established as the primary governing board under the Charter of 1650, now consists of five Fellows, the President, and Treasurer. This group is authorized to elect its own successors in perpetuity, to fashion rules for conducting the work of the University, and to hold the University property. It is also empowered to appoint the teaching staffs, subject only to the approval of the Overseers. For almost two hundred years in New England, the Corpo- ration meant that of Harvard University which was the corporation par ex- cellence. The Corporation is a very intimate and friendly body quite different from the ordinary board of directors. The conscientiousness of the Corporation is such that it disturbs the secretary who is anxious to finish an over crowded docket. Every detail is always more than thoroughly discussed. The small size of the Corporation and the attitude of its members produce discussion rather than debate. N o member represents a single line of thought or interest, or in- deed, does anything but advise the president, the Corporation's only expert. A prudent president will present every issue to the Corporation so fairly that they will be unable to determine which solution he favors. In this way, he may avail himself of their fresh and impartial judgment. The Corporation is the embodiment of the principle that in discussion there is usefulness. About sixty yC3fl'S ago, no member outside the Boston area was appointed because of frequent meetings and difficulties in transportation. All of the present members are lawyers except Dr. Roger I. Lee, recently elected president of the American College of Physicians. Although 11ot liberal politically, these men are liberal minded. For although they may disagree with what one says, they will defend to the death one's right to say it. The charge that the Corporation is the spokes- man of big business is somewhat analagous to the charge that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 represented the vested interests of their day. The answer to both charges is somewhat the same: in spite of their respective backgrounds both the founding fathers and the Corporation can point with pride to a record of fairness and liberality. It was onee charged that J. P. Morgan controlled Yale, and Lee Higginson Company, Harvard. CAt the same time, three of the five Fellows were members of that firm.D The Higginson members '54 4 3 af Int' uf,-as Y .rf tv Y 1 ' iw.. -. f -1... ' A ,mv : nl., or wwf -f y? - ' ' 'egg ,,,,,?i'?uWi' jf Q.w'.3j1L4 'mi-1 ia? - .L we . --'.p'g?ll1giig 'gf' Pt, :N m,x,l,,, . ,,,, .1 M .,. I ,g...,.,..,, , 4, ., na. '. cy l, f v on 2,7 h 1.7, L, iw, , r, '1,,gwig le f z j,ggm I A , fx? r LW ...- ,lf 'dxf .r 7 . '1l'.'lf -5 ' . 'Zi H ., :iff x fo ' f . , , ' 1' .3,,r,,.1 '-'ml ax if ,L , i , 2-..,..,5 wg, 'v - .b g . i.wi.as.,. ww- -.V f- X02 r,w.,:e-ti i.7is.,c I iff' ' 3 7 'wiifeiz 'v.'WLmf4:tfl' ' 1, , , f ' V - 3 Q i ng' 4' A153--,f 4 ' il f, Acxfiav ' ' ' 45'-fs ' ,, ,,,, if., ,M , , ,ffv 4 , , 15 V ,g r ,V E l gar, - 1 .5-if 1. - t, ,M GEORGE HENRY CHASE ALFRED CHESTER HANFORD WILLIAM SCOTT FERGUSON Pnlljq I,.H-D., Lm-T,D- l,II.D., LL.D. PILD., LL.D., LI'l l'.D. Dean of the University John E. Hudson Dean of lln1'v:u'd College, Professor of Dean of the lfnculty of Arts and Scu nus Professor of Archeology and Curator of Government and Melman Professor of Ancient and Classical Antiquities Mflflcrll lIlSt0l'.Y -I PAC! 21

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NVALLACE BRE'l'T DUNIIAM S.'XRGICN'1' KICNNI-IDY FRANCIS KHPPHL JAMICS M4'CAl'l,ICY LANDIS A.l5., LLB. S-M-v xI-B'A- .-MH. A.ll., l,I.,Il., S.J.D. U1-un of tho Gruqlugm- Svlnml nf .ASNIHULIIL 131-1111 Of li1H'Y:ll'fl Cflllvl-U' Assn:-:tum D1-unnfll:LrvurrlCull4-g1- Dr-nn of ilu- Fan-llltiy nf Lnw und Hvsiiir-ss Arlininistrutimi nm! Prufvssur nf lmgislutiirmii Gr-urlu' I lSill'I' Ihikvr Profi-ssor Husain-ss i'il'0liUlllil'H lJl12l,MAli l,I41lGll'l'uN l.AWRl'INCl-I SHAW MAYO ,x.H., x1.n..'x. :LM- Ilf-un uf lv,-,.,1,,,,,.,, ,H glam-U,-ll Assoc-intv Dc-un uf thi- Grzuluutv Cullc-gf-, lllHlI'llf'lOI' in l'R'mmiiiics Sf'ilUlli0i.Al'iSll.ll1iSf'iI'lll'f'H JOHN MCFARLANIC R USSIGLL A.ll. Assistant' In thu I'r4.-sich-lit. WILLA RD 'LICAROYD SPE!! R Y ALA4, ILID. D1-nn of the Divinity Si-l1onl,l'ilnu- nwr Professor uf Chrisliun Murnls und Professor of llmniintics IQICGINALIJ IIICNRY l'ill'Il.l'S AJS., A.M. Assistmit, Di-nn of llurvnrcl Cullr-go unri Sz-vrotnry uf thi- l :urully uf Arts und Sviviir-vs und Asxislnnt in Ilisiury und in G1-rmun HARALD MALCOLM WI'lS'l'1fIR G AA Ii I J PILT, , Du. ENG., Du. VFECIIN., S.D. Dcun of thu Qifllfillllit! Svhnoi ul' l'Ingim'crim.:, Gurdon Muliuy Prn- fcssor of Civil Engineering, und Cimirman of the D1-pnrtnu-nt of linpzinvcring Science CDIGUIKIIG l Al7I.KNl'IIi I'l,IMl l'0N A,li,, l,I,.ii. .-Xssuf-into D4-un nl' llurvuril Cnlh-gn in 1'iml'm-uf Alumni Plum-1-im-nt :ind Studi-nt Illinployuim-nt, AR'I'Ill'H FISIIICR WlII'l l'lCN Dvnn uf Slivvixll S1ll!ll'lliS, Diruvtur ni l'nivm-rsity l'Ixt1-ns-aiun, mul Assn- 4-mtu 1'i'of1-ssrii' of Rnnnmcu Lun- gunz:-s 4 PAGE zo i