Handlin, Homans, Scheffler, Quine Support Academic Liberties Group

Four Harvard professors are charter sponsors of University Centers for Rational Alternatives (UCRA), seeking to counter campus extremists.

The director of the New York-based group, Gerald Pinsky, summarized UCRA's goals:

* to defend academic freedom against extremism

* to promote the activism of non-extremists in all aspects of civic affairs

* to foster rational treatment of contemporary problems

* to combat attacks on the democratic process.

The Harvard supporters are Oscar Handlin, Charles Warren Professor of American History; George C. Homans '32, professor of Sociology; Willard V. O. Quine, Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy; and Israel Scheffler, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Education and Philosophy.

The four Harvard professors have all contributed money to UCRA.

Last Dec. 16 about 2000 letters containing UCRA pledge sheets were mailed to faculty members across the country. Noting the response from Harvard, Pinsky said that "considering Harvard's calmness, there's been a damned good batting average"

The Dec. 16 letter stated that "only more effective action, using better publicity techniques, can make extremism unfashionable." The letter called for a "revolt of the rationally committed" by contacting "various spontaneous local groups that have arisen to combat extremism" and working with these groups to establish "a permanent network."

UCRA also aims to "foster similar groups where they do not exist, acquainting them with techniques of proved effectiveness." Pinsky said that the only Harvard professor to indicate that he wanted to organize a UCRA at Harvard was Handlin. Handlin could not be reached for comment.

Pinsky said that UCRA has not followed up some leads for financial contributions, because of the fear of attracting radical rightists. However, Pinsky added that UCRA does not "exclude people who are conservative individually." Sponsors include S. I. Hayakawa, president of San Francisco State College.

At Harvard, Quine in an interview termed UCRA "a plug for academic freedom" and said that he gave a "$10 or $20" contribution. Pinsky checked the UCRA contribution list and remarked that Quine was "being modest."

Pinsky said that UCRA is working on a shoestring budget of a few thousand dollars. Of the Harvard contributors, Pinsky added that he was very pleased because "they've been nice to us."