Kennedy Wanted Harris On Fed. Reserve Board

Seymour E. Harris '20, Lucius N. Littauer Professor of Political Economy, last night confirmed reports that the late President Kennedy had planned to appoint him to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Harris said further, however, that he was uncertain about the effect the change of administrations would have on the appointment. Thus far, Harris said, he has not heard from President Johnson of his intentions. A vacancy on the Board occurs at the end of this month.

Should Johnson offer him the appointment, Harris said, he would take it and turn down an offer from the University of California at La Jolla. Harris was scheduled to leave Harvard this February to take over as chairman of the department of economics at the La Jolla campus.

Johnson's decision on whether or not to appoint Harris may give a strong indication of the type of economic policy he wants his administration to pursue. Harris is considered to be a very liberal economist.

An intellectual leader of the New Frontier, Harris was economic adviser to the then Senator Kennedy in 1960 and became a member of the President's Task Force on a Economy in 1960-61. He has currently been serving as a member of the Public Advisory Committee on Area Redevelopment and Senior Consultant to the Secretary of the Treasury.