Franklin Ford to Resign as Dean But Will Continue Teaching Here

Franklin L. Ford, dean of the Faculty since 1962, will resign as dean next June. Ford, who already is scheduled to take a sabbatical leave next Spring, announced his permanent resignation at yesterday's Faculty meeting.

There was no immediate announcement of a successor. Initial speculation centered on John T. Dunlop. Wells Professor of Economies, who will take Ford's place as acting dean during the Spring.

After his sabbatical. Ford will return to the Harvard Faculty, where his specialty has been European history.

In a long statement to the Faculty explaining his decision, Ford said he is resigning for personal reasons-primarily to continue his career as a historian.

His duties as dean have been "demanding and almost endlessly distracting," Ford said. After several years in the position, he said. "the decision to complete one's career as a professor must be faced squarely."

(The full text of Ford's statement appears on page 5 of today's CRIMSON.)

Ford discounted any political reasons behind his decision. "In a highly politicized atmosphere, any such action is likely to appear political in motivation," he said. "It is not."

But Ford admitted that the increasingly political tone of Faculty debate in the last year has made his position less attractive.

"It would be a rare individual indeed who could enjoy listening, on a series of Tuesday afternoons, to what, in my view, is becoming excessively glib and insufficiently examined rhetoric concerning 'confidence.' 'authority.' and 'legitimacy,' without regard to certain other matters of some moment," he said.

Ford added that some of the Faculty's debates have dealt with his own "alleged qualities of mind and character" and have caused him "quick flashes of pain and incredulity."

Most of these debates have come in the last year when the Faculty has rejected or altered proposals from Ford or from such bodies as the Administrative Board and the Committee on Educational Policy (CEP).

Punishments for Paine

Last January, after a student sit-in cancelled a Faculty meeting in Paine Hall, the Faculty voted for lighter punishment for the demonstrators than the Ad Board had recommended. In February, the Faculty passed a ROTC resolution that was more explicitly political than one proposed by the CEP.

In its series of emergency meetings last April. the Faculty consistently chose floor resolutions on ROTC and Afro-American studies instead of more traditional positions supported by Ford and other administrators.

At several of those meetings. Ford had sharp exchanges with Faculty members who questioned his view of the events-for instance, his report that one floor of Emerson Hall was "occupied" by SDS members printing posters.

New Dean to Serve Until Pusey Departs

Dunlop's age and distinction in other fields makes it seem unlikely that he would want to stay on as dean after Pusey leaves. And the experience he will get as acting dean next Spring makes him the logical choice to step in.

But if Pusey does decide on Dunlop, he may face further trouble from an already cantankerous Faculty. The last 18 months, which have brought several kinds of changes to Harvard, have also deeply altered the relation of the dean to his Faculty.

While Ford minimized the political reasons behind his resignation yesterday, one section of his statement hit on the key to this changed relation. His reference to the "excessively glib and insufficiently examined rhetoric concerning confidence, authority, and legitimacy" was a clear allusion to often bitter Faculty meetings of last Spring and this Fall.

Liberal Victories

The important aspects of these meetings has not been their acrimony, but rather their outcome. Time after time, liberal Faculty members have beaten down proposals that had the full support of Ford. Pusey, and some of the Faculty's established committees.

The most recent example was the Faculty's seemingly trivial debate over the "Docket Committee" last week. Many liberals left that meeting feeling they had won a major victory by cutting the Docket Committee's power.

In this Faculty climate-with the liberals displaying their power and usually prevailing-the choice of Dunlop might only increase tensions. Several liberal caucus members said last night that they felt the Faculty "deserved" a dean more sympathetic to their beliefs.

Dunlop-a member of the conservative caucus last Spring-has refrained from overt politicking this Fall, in keeping with his scheduled role as acting dean. But liberals are likely to see his past role as evidence that he will not represent their views as dean.

Pasey faced a less touchy situation when Dean Glimp resigned last summer. His choice of Ernest May former conservative, caucus member, caused little real dissatisfaction in the Faculty.

The Faculty whose own leadership is at stake this time-might be less placid this time. If Pusey decides to appoint Dunlop, he will have to be prepared for the problems as well as the advantages.