College Won't Adopt' Cliffe Hiring Policy

Negroes applying for jobs at Harvard do not get the preferential treatment personnel policy at Radcliffe accords them, University officials said yesterday.

One administrator said Radcliffe President Bunting's directive to hire Negroes whenever possible "was a somewhat surprising statement." He added that Harvard did not give preferential treatment to anyone and that hiring was based entirely on qualifications.

Bunting Announces Policy

Mrs. Bunting had told a Holmes Hall audience Thursday of her directive to all personnel offices "to scour the Boston area for qualified Negroes to fill vacancies." The director of housekeeping at Radcliffe, Mrs. Dorothy S. McAndrews, confirmed that since President Bunting's letter was received any qualified Negro who applies for a job is hired.

John W. Teele, Director of Personnel, said that Harvard had no plans to adopt the Radcliffe policy. "There was no such memo here, nor would there be," he said. Teele stressed that "fair opportunity for all" had been the basis of Harvard hiring for a long time. "Our concern in this area is nothing new. We've been trying to give everyone a fair break for a long, long time."

Muller Sees No Preference

In the Department of Buildings and Grounds, Assistant Director Henry J. Muller said that no preference was given either way. "We don't ask about color, we just want to know what the man's qualifications are," Muller said. "We don't have preferential treatment for Negroes because we've never had the opposite. If you have a guilty conscience, preferential treatment may be all right. We don't."

Muller said that manual laborers were referred to Buildings and Grounds either through employment offices or because they were acquainted with someone on the work force. In most instances, he said, the foreman of the crew involved made the hiring decisions. Hiring for the staff of the department is the responsibility of the director, Cecil A. Roberts.