Law-Business Schools' Relative Polarity In 1964 Straw Vote Just the Latest Of Long History of Steadfast Loyalties

Throughout that spotty and ambiguous portion of Harvard's long history which we have on record, the Law School and GSAS have maintained an unbroken affiliation with the Democratic Party, the Business School with the Republican Party, the College with the Republicans until 1948 and the Democrats since 1952, and Radcliffe and the Faculty blissfully unpredictable--the closest thing the University has to bell weather counties.

In 1924, when Coolidge swept the University, the Law School gave him his narrowest margin. But that was the last time they ever did anything like that. Since their lone endorsement of Al Smith in 1928, they have sided with the Democrats every four years. In 1948 only they and the GSAS held firm with Truman; Dewey was overwhelmingly victorious in every other part of the University.

In the Harvard mock-selections of the 1950's however, a curious phenomenon occurred. Although Stevenson won in every other division of the University, two huge majorities for Eisenhower, 75% in the Business School, and 60% in the Freshman class, put the Republican over the top in the total University vote. The Crimson made a valiant attempt to give it to Stevenson, bringing in Law School totals from a different poll, but the result was accurately declared fraudulent by the Harvard Young Republicans.

In 1960, only the Business School was Nixonian. Yet in the Senatorial straw poll of 1962 Harvard College went back to the fold and endorsed the unsuccessful George Cabot Lodge by a 52% majority.

Radcliffe and the Faculty have voted similarly in almost every election. And this vote has been relatively free of predictable partisan affiliation. In 1892 the Faculty endorsed Cleveland by a vote of 52-6, while Harvard College went typically for the Republican Harrison. In 1924, however, the Faculty outdid the rest of the University in supporting Collage.

Through the Roosevelt years, it was only the Faculty, the Law School, the GSAS and Radcliffe who put their faith in the Democrat. The rest of the University defeated "that man" soundly every time they had their chance, however vicariously. In the later terms, however, some of this FDR support was also found among commuters, Adams House men and Kirkland House men.

In 1948, however, even the Faculty and Radcliffe lost their infallibility. While the Law School and GSAS-Truman fans just squeaked out a bare majority, the Faculty swung with the University to Dewey. But they really swung. The College gave the Republican "man on the wedding cake" 66% of their vote, but the Faculty gave him 80% and Radcliffe 83%.

This experience was so upsetting that the Faculty and Radcliffe parted ways for the first time in 1952. Then the Faculty mustered up a small lead for Eisenhower, about 4-3, while Radcliffe tipped her scales discreetly in favor of Stevenson.

Whether it was Radcliffe's example or their own profound change of heart, the Faculty changed horses in 1956, endorsing Stevenson by a hearty vote of 2-1. But by this time, no one in the University was still supporting the Republican: no one, that is, except the Business School and the freshman class.

In the 1960 election every section of the University endorsed Kennedy except the Business School; with the Law School, GSAS, Radcliffe, and the Faculty giving him his greatest support.

And in 1962 Radcliffe and the Faculty went further left than they had ever gone in a staw poll, approving H. Stuart Hughes' independent candidacy for Massachusetts senator, while the College was solidly behind Lodge. Edward M. Kennedy, ultimately victorious, got only 12% of the Radcliffe vote, and less than a half dozen-faculty spokesmen.

Yet in 1964 every area in the University united behind Lyndon Johnson. Not since the election of William McKinley in 1896 has a major party candidate been so devastated so unanimously in a Harvard straw poll. That year William Jennings Bryan raised the same issue of East versus West sectionalism that Barry Goldwater has raised in this election; apparently the only issue which draws together, and unites even the Law and Business Schools, even the Faculty and the freshmen.