Harvard Studying Draft; Grad Schools Must Adjust

As Harvard seniors and graduate students attempt to plan their futures under the new 1967 Draft Act, Harvard College has begun a study to see just what that law means.

Dean Glimp confirmed yesterday that he has asked John B. Fox Jr., the new director of Harvard's Office for Graduate and Career Plans, to look into the new draft law and report on what implications it has for College students and College planning.

In addition, Glimp said that he expects a staff meeting this morning to complete a letter to Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, director of Selective Service, asking for clarification of the new draft law as it concerns Harvard College. If completed as expected, Glimp said, the letter would be mailed late this afternoon.

The new draft law retains most of the Selective Service as it has been operated for years, except in the area of graduate student deferments. It eliminates graduate deferments for most members of this year's senior class, and it gives members of last Spring's class only a year's deferment for graduate study. It also gives the President authority to reverse the order of induction to 'youngest first" and call 19-year olds before older men.

Glimp said there are still unsettled questions about the law which the College needs answered. He said that, even though general graduate deferments have been cut, he is unclear which areas of graduate study will still be deferred.

Currently, medicine and dentistry are still deferred studies and the National Security Council is expected to report to the President early next year on other possible areas for deferments.

It must also be determined where in the draft pool newly-eligible men will be placed in relation to those already 1-A, Glimp said.

Position Not Clear

The College would also like to learn whether graduates who are 1-A but not drafted by September can then be assured that they will be allowed to complete at least a year of graduate work, Glimp said. The new draft law ended the 1-S classification, under which graduate students drafted during the school year were allowed to complete that year before entering service.

Glimp said the new draft law has been subject of continuing interest at his weekly staff meetings. He said, too, that the letter to Hershey is expected to point out that about 70 per cent of graduating Harvard College classes go on to some form of graduate study.

Fox said yesterday that his study would be an effort "to get some idea where we stand in an area where rumors are predominant." He said he has already spoken to draft officials in Boston and would soon be in contact with Hershey's Washington office.