Academic Group Backs Candidacy Of Ted Kennedy

Fourteen Harvard professors have announced their support of the Senate candidacy of Edward M. Kennedy '54. They are part of a group of more than 40 professors from several Massachusetts colleges.

According to Henry Steele Commager, professor of history at Amherst College, some of the group members "have serious misgivings about the tactical value of such academic endorsements." Commager added that the group of scholars "knows that Kennedy will win by a wide margin with or without our help, which is superfluous at best."

Charles M. Hoar, professor of Law, said that some of the professors are helping Kennedy by "preparing background materials on important issues." Many of them, he said, are old friends and associates of the Kennedys.

Long Friendships

Both Samuel H. Beer, professor of Government, and Archibald Cox '34, Williston Professor of Law, also referred to long friendships with the Kennedys. Cox stated, however, that he was not moved by concern about any particular issues in the Massachusetts Senate race.

On the other hand, M.I.T. professor of Physics Victor F. Weisskopf said that he had never met the Senator and that he was stirred by the campaign issue of the war in Vietnam. Weisskopf

also predicted an easy victory for Kennedy.

Other Harvard professors who declared their support for Kennedy are Abraham J. Chayes '43, professor of Law; Paul M. Doty, Mallinckrodt Professor of Biochemistry; Otto Eckstein, professor of Economics; Merle Fainsod, Pforzheimer University Professor; John Kenneth Galbraith, Warburg Professor of Economics; Samuel P. Huntington, Thomas Professor of Government; Edwin O. Reischauer, University Professor; Donald F. Turner, professor of Law; George Wald, Higgins Professor of Biology; and Adam Yarmolinsky '43, professor of Law.