"Audacious" Undertakes Social Classification of Harvard's 250 in Current Tatler--Names Form Only Basis of Evaluation

Wild rumors to the effect that "Audacious," the colyumist of late tabloid fame, had supplemented his last month's article in the Tatler and American Sketch with a rating of Harvard socialites were confirmed last night when the CRIMSON succeeding in procuring what seems to be the only December issue of the magazine in Cambridge or Boston. The startling and sensational lineup of 250 regulars, most of whom are drawn from Boston circles, was not generally known throughout the University last night, but the word was passing swiftly.

With a candor possible only to one whose identity is hidden under a pseudonym. "Audacious" preludes his list of the socially elect with a few paragraphs of explanatory comment. "This list is the A-1 list of boys who are invited to all the smartest debutante affairs," he (or she) says. "This group is invited to everything. When more than 250 men are needed as at balls, etc., additional men are invited, but these men receive the cream of all the invitations." The writer goes on to say that the list is made up each spring from the graduates of about four well known preparatory schools, that the Harvard Deans are forced each year to beg Boston hostesses to exclude Freshmen, and that a large number of departing students each year owe their hegira to over-active social duties.

Then, with a decidedly horror-stricken parlor remark, "Audacious" utters a "Do you know, my dear?" to the effect that Harvard men actually go to their nine o'clocks in full dress after returning from affairs lasting until dawn in the mauve ballrooms of Greater Boston. Tickled with this scandal, the dilettante society reporter proceeds to explain that the list is graded socially and not athletically. To quote: "If a man goes to Harvard and makes a varsity team, he usually makes the good clubs and therefore 'rates' at Harvard. But many who 'rate' at Harvard do not 'rate' socially in Boston. Therefore, the names of many men who are prominent in football (not so much this year), hockey, baseball--are on the "Z" list. Though lots of the debs will not understand why many temporary heroes are set here, the reason is that as soon as they finish college they will drop back into their lowly niches, whereas the "A's" and "B's" will always retain their natural stati."

The article, headed by the title. "Now The Rah Rahs" and following Boston Society notes, divides the "debutante sons" into four groups, the "A's", "B's", "C's", and "And theZ." Although a few indiscriminate residents of cities far removed from the Hub are thrown in, without any particular explanation, the large numbers of social celebrities who live beyond the shadow of Bunker Hill Monument are omitted. Naturally, as in the expose of conditions within the debutante ranks, the comments accompanying each name are more sensational than the actual grading.

Names Basis of Rating

Names, of course, are the only basis of evaluation. The usual type of remark is something like the following: "A name like that would stand for something anywhere"; "His family is conservative of the conservatives"; "Mother belongs to the Chilton Club"; "The apple of the family eye--a son among four daughters"; "Smart in 1930; prominent in 1865"; and "If he were a girl he would be presented at the Bachelors' Cotillon in Baltimore."

Since the only available copy of the magazine was being used in the CRIMSON Building last night, nothing could be learned from students mentioned in the article, or from metropolitan papers concerning further angles on the story