Party of Eight

Across the street from the Holyoke Center, at 78 Mt. Auburn Street, sits a decrepit yellow house. The aging building with peeling paint is home to some of the most brilliant young minds in the country.

If Harvard had a stamp of certified brilliance, it would be membership in the 67-year-old Society of Fellows. Each year, the society gives eight very junior scholars--some of whom have not even completed their Ph.D.s--a hefty stipend and the opportunity to spend three years at Harvard.

During their time in Cambridge, fellows research, write and even take the occasional class.

And for all of this, they are asked to produce exactly nothing. Fellows need not publish one article and do not have to teach.

All that is expected of the exclusive group is that they attend an opulent, seven-course dinner served weekly in the Society's private dining room in Eliot House.

Not a bad life.

High Society

Founded in 1933 by former Harvard President A. Lawrence Lowell, Class of 1877, the society has offered junior fellows academic freedom and the opportunity to take intellectual risks ever since.

"It's a fantastic opportunity," says Noah Feldman '92. "It gives you the chance to meet really exciting young scholars in different fields who are enthusiastic. You learn a great deal from talking to other fellows and the senior fellows are great people who are willing to talk to you and critique your work."

Most undergraduates have never heard of the Society of Fellows. The group is not a secret, but their solitary research projects can keep them isolated from the rest of the University.

Fellows are not affiliated with any one graduate school or department--they are fond of quoting former society Chair Andrew Gleason's assertion that the Society is "freedom from Harvard at Harvard."

The group is a cross-disciplinary intellectual community, meant to give scholars who will one day lead their academic fields the time to think--and learn from each other .

Fellows are provided with a yearly stipend of $45,000 and are given access to all Harvard facilities--from the fabled Widener Library to a seat in any Harvard class. In return, they do advanced study in their area of interest.

"The really great thing about it is that it gives you the freedom to work on what you want to work on, Feldman says. "You can take a few chances."

Approximately 24 junior fellows and 10 senior fellows comprise the society yearly, with areas of expertise ranging from theoretical high energy physics to British imperial history.

Junior fellows are not called junior for nothing. Many have just completed doctorates, but others are still in the midst of studying for theirs.

Likewise, senior fellows are not are among the prestigious scholars at Harvard. Among the current crop are the society's Chair and Loeb University Professor Walter Gilbert, Reisinger Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature (not to mention Dean of Undergraduate Education) William M. Todd III and Pellegrino University Professor Robert Nozick.

Fellows emphasize that the society is a tight-knit community.

In addition to the elaborate Eliot dinner, which is attended by senior fellows as well as current and former junior fellows, the group meets for lunch twice weekly.

Over the sumptuous meals--the Monday night dinner includes its own cheese course--intellectual discussion flows freely.

"Meals seem lavish and ostentatious," says Jacob S. Hacker '94. "But they are really away of bringing together people across fields and generations."

How to Get Invited

Joining the Society is not just a matter of filling out an application. All fellows must first be nominated for a spot. (One current fellow received his nomination from the dean of Yale Law School.)

Prospective fellows are only then sent application materials, which includes requests for recommendations, writing samples and project proposals

The senior fellows then carefully narrow the list down and choose finalists to interview.

Fellows say the interview process is grueling.

"You know for a fact that you're a dumbest person in the room," says junior fellow Feldman. "They are really trying to see whether your work is likely to be promising. They also want to see if you'll be fun to have at dinner."

Once admitted, fellows inscribe their names in the society's traditional guest book. They then listen to a special pledge composed by Lowell over sixty years ago.

The page-long Declaration of Principles gives the junior fellows some guidelines for their time with the group.

"You will practice the virtues, and avoid the snares, of the scholar. You will be courteous to your elders who have explored to the point from which you may advance; and helpful to your juniors who will progress farther by reason of your labors," the document reads.

A Day in the Life of...

No two fellows use their three-year stint in the society in the same way. Some stick to their project topic or finish their dissertations, while others take advantage of Harvard's broader community.

"I spend different parts of the day in different places," Feldman says. "I spend time in the libraries, some time in front in the computer, and I go to seminars."

"The truth is, I remember from being an undergraduate that there is so much to do," he says. "Now I have the time to do what interests me."

For example, last semester Feldman took a Korean class. His undergraduate classmates were taken aback at first by his age, but Feldman says he was glad to have the opportunity he never had when in the College .

Another fellow took a year off to teach at a local public school.

Feldman lives in Lowell House with his wife, who is a resident tutor there, and says he often interacts with undergraduates. His spring has been busy with reading Lowell House senior thesis chapters.

"All junior fellows strike a balance between doing their research and contributing to the life of the University," Feldman says. "That's kind of the point."

Interactions within the community are also crucial. Besides the individual research, fellows says learning from each other has been the biggest benefit of being a part of the society.

"I've forged really close friendships with junior fellows while I've been here," Hacker says. "There's a combination of people who share your interest in scholarships, the nerds you knew in college, but who represent a diversity of view points."

"We've talked about everything from the writings of the Renaissance to patent law to the elections," he adds. "I've met and spent time with everyone outside the formal time. I think that's rare."

Here Today, Tenured Tomorrow

Fellows may not be expected to produce anything specific while at the society, but it's an unwritten rule that they will go on to academic super-stardom.

Of the approximately 450 former fellows, more than 85 have gone on to receive tenure at Harvard.

While those affiliated with the society say membership does not provide a guarantee of tenure, the prestige of the group pads any resume. Plus, many fellows have an opportunity to work closely with the academic departments in their field, so professors know get to know them and their abilities.

Also, Hacker points out that a scholar wouldn't get in to the society if he or she had not already proven their academic stripes.

But the future is not what's on the fellows' minds.

"You should value this time regardless of whether it is a stepping stone," Hacker says.

"We know we're in this really lucky position, and I think all of us try to make the most of it and thank our lucky stars every morning that we were given this opportunity," Feldman says.