Harvard Pleases Nieman Fellows

Twelve professional newspapermen, who each won a year at Harvard by way of the University's Nieman Fellowships, settled comfortably back into overstuffed armchairs in their Holyoke House headquarters this week and declared themselves "very happy" over the results so far of the holiday here.

One newsman--William German, head of the San Francisco Chronicle's copy desk--put it this way: "We're tremendously impressed with Harvard's vitality and stimulation. There's so much worth doing here that I wish I could spend a full four years at it."

And that's exactly how Harvard and Mrs. Agnes Wahl Nieman planned it. Founded in 1937 by the bequest of Mrs. Nieman, widow of the founder of the Milwaukee Journal, the fellowships offer working journalists the chance to spend a year at the University attending what courses and lectures they please.

This year's twelve, on leave from newspapers all over the country, are studying and reading under professors throughout the University, working on their own special problems.

Pet Interest

"Most of us have some pet interest we're concentrating on," comments Donald J. Gonzales, United Press diplomatic reporter. "With me it's international relations, political and economic." Gonzales finds time for six courses, ranging from "Russia and the West" to elementary French.

Through the programs of all 12 Niemans, certain courses run as pronounced favorites. Eleven are taking Professor Frederick Merk's "History of the Westward Movement," while other popular courses include Professor John K. Fairbank's History of "Far Eastern Civilization," Professor Arthur M. Schlesinger's "Cultural History of the United States," and visiting Professor Robert Wolf's "Russia and the West."

As a rule the Niemans think History, Government, and Economics will help them most with their reporting, although Social Relations, English, and languages aren't ruled out.

Intellectual Atmosphere

"Harvard men? These guys are pretty sharp and we feel the competition in class," John P. McCormally, writer on the Emporia Gazette, remarked. "They're more mentally alert than most students I've met; I suppose the intellectual atmosphere here creates a better student body," adds William M. Stucky, city editor of the Lexington (Ky.) Leader.

Of course when the Nieman Fellows talk about competition they're not worrying about marks. But just the same the students keep them on their toes. One fellow goes to the blackboard regularly in beginning French, and, of the 11 in Merk's course, six took the hour exam. The mean mark was B minus, and only one received an A.

Field Trips to the U.N.

A Nieman fellowship isn't all classes, and the newsmen take pride in their special activities, such as field trips to the United Nations, Faculty Club seminars, periodic dinners with outside newspapermen, and a writing seminar with Theodore Morrison. "And you can usually find at least one of us at every one of Harvard's evening speeches and forums," someone added.

For pleasure the Niemans have spent the fall Saturdays in the Soldiers Field press box and a couple of them were hit by water bags in the Square outbreak the night before the Princeton game.

Mollenhoff

Each of the fellows is affiliated with a House, and one of them--Clark R. Mollenhoff of the Des Moines Register--took his affiliation so seriously that he went out for the Leverett House football team. Unfortunately Mollenhoff chanced to be a one-time captain of the Drake varsity football team, and after a scrimmage or two he was rule "too processional for the House league." Mollenhoff hopes he'll at least be able to play basketball.

Collectively the Niemans boast a total of 19 children. Their families are living in houses in and around Cambridge, and the journalists condemn local rents as "higher than anywhere else."

Other Nieman fellows this year besides those already named include:

Robert H. Fleming, Milwaukee Journal political writer; Hays Gorey, Salt Lake Tribune city editor; Max, R. Hall, Associated Press labor reporter; John L. Hulteng, Providence Journal editorial writer; Murrey Marder, Washington Post reporter; Richard J. Wallace, Jr., Memphis Press-Scimitar writer; and Melvin S. Wax, Rutland Herald assistant news editor.