Senator Brown Faults University's ROTC Policy

Mass. Senator Scott Brown issued a harsh rebuke to Harvard yesterday for its positions on ROTC and the DREAM Act, saying in a statement that the University “has its priorities upside down.”

In yesterday’s Boston Globe, University President Drew G. Faust said that Harvard would not officially recognize ROTC unless the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy banning openly gay service members is overturned—comments to which Brown, a Republican, reacted strongly.

The senator contrasted the University’s stance on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” with its recent strong support for the DREAM Act, which would give some illegal immigrants the opportunity to serve in the military as well as attend college.

“It is incomprehensible to me that Harvard does not allow ROTC to use its facilities, but welcomes students who are in this country illegally,” he said in the statement posted on his website. “They should embrace young people who want to serve their country at a time of war.”

The spat unfolded two days after the Senate—under threat of a Republican filibuster—declined to take up a measure that would have allowed gays to serve openly in the military.

Harvard expelled ROTC in 1969 due to the Vietnam War’s unpopularity among students and faculty. In more recent years, the University has not allowed ROTC to return since administrators believe that the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation.

Since 1976, students who wished to participate in the program have attended classes and training through a consortium program with MIT, which is funded exclusively by alumni donations.

University spokesman John D. Longbrake said the University’s positions on the DREAM Act and ROTC were not incompatible.

“We share Senator Brown’s goals and very much want to make sure that all young people living in our communities can serve in the military­—the DREAM Act does that for thousands of students and has been supported by our military leaders,” he said in a statement. “President Faust has said many times that she very much looks forward to the day when the opportunity to pursue military service will be available to all our students who have the ability and the desire to serve.”

Since assuming the presidency, Faust has engaged with students in ROTC, including having breakfast with ROTC cadets and attending their commissioning ceremony last year.

On Wednesday, a group of ROTC cadets took the field at Fenway Park on “Harvard Night,” presenting the colors before Faust threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Though interest in ROTC has traditionally been low at Harvard, meaning that the creation of a unit at the University would be unlikely, students said they believe ROTC would benefit from official recognition.

Isaiah T. Peterson ’12, an Air Force ROTC cadet, said that while relations with the University have improved, its position based on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” still seems shortsighted.

“We’ve been pretty happy that the University has reached out to us in the last couple years,” he said, but added that he thinks “it’s a terrible idea for Harvard to distance itself from the military, especially when it’s not the military making the policy.”

—Staff writer William N. White can be reached at wwhite@fas.harvard.edu.