Watson Accused of Harassment For Attempt to Depose Socialist

Mary S. Gillmor, a special student, has accused Dean Watson of "harassing" the Harvard-Radcliffe Socialist Club by trying to remove her from the presidency of that organization.

Miss Gillmor said yesteray that Dean Watson had written her saying that only undergraduates can be officers of undergraduate organizations. Miss Gillmor, who was a senior at Radcliffe when she was elected president of the club last March, is now a full time special student, taking courses in preparation for medical school.

The Regulations for Undergraduate Organizations states that "a majority of the members and a majority of the officers must be undergraduates."

A Hard Time

"It seems pretty obvious," Miss Gillmor said, "that if a majority must be under-graduates, then a minority may be special or graduate students. Watson tends to give us a hard time, and I think this is his only reason for bringing this matter up."

Dean Watson said in reply that Miss Gillmor was "violating the spirit and the purpose of undergraduate organizations," although he conceded that nothing in the rules specifically prohibited her from being president of the club.

Watson also said that the Faculty Committee on Student Activities would change the rule as soon as it meets. He added that he favored changing the wording to read, "The officers and a majority of the members must be undergraduates."

Watson rejected Miss Gillmor's assertion that he was harassing the Socialist Club, and said that she was "just after some free publicity. It would be the same thing if she were a member of the Radcliffe Choral Society." He noted that any change in rules would not apply to her.

"Special Students have had their fling," Watson said. "Why should they be manipulating undergraduate activities?" He stated that the rule change was necessary, so "there won't be any more Mary Gillmors."