President McKinley Cannot Receive a Degree.

President McKinley will not be able to attend the Commencement exercises this year on account of the critical condition of Mrs. McKinley's health. Harvard will therefore not be able to confer the degree of LL.D. on the President, since it has been the custom for Harvard to confer degrees only on persons present at the Commencement exercises.

When President Eliot was informed of this fact, and was asked whether the college would confer the degree under the circumstances, he replied:

"If Mr. McKinley is not present at Commencement the degree will not be conferred upon him, as there would be no opportunity to do so. Formerly a degree was conferred occasionally upon a person who was unable to be present; but the custom of the College for several years has been to confer the degree upon only those who present themselves in person on Commencement Day. I presume that this custom will be adhered to this year."

Votes of the governing boards in conferring degrees hold good indefinitely. It will be possible, therefore, to confer the degree on President McKinley at any later time at which he may be able to attend the Commencement exercises.