Have Politics Dictated the Class of 1974?

Few people are over satisfied with the Harvard freshman class, but this year criticism of the selection process has often taken on a political tone.

Dean of Admissions Chase N. Peterson '52 has heard the criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. Many students have cited instances of radicals being rejected in favor of less qualified but "safer" candidates, and alumni have complained that Harvard is accepting nothing but rock throwers.

To both types of criticism. Peterson has the same answer: "I think we've leaned over backwards to get the same kind of interesting, special people we've always had."

In addition, Peterson argues to those who claim his committee avoids radicals that this would be a difficult thing to do, even if it had been the committee's purpose. "There's little way we could choose on the basis of politics because their college politics are unpredictable," Peterson said Monday during a two-hour discussion of the issue.

But political criticisms and rumors have abounded recently, and Peterson has already traced several back to the candidates' folders for review. He urged anyone with instances of political discrimination to bring them to his attention. "We are willing to track this kind of rumor," he said.

One rumor Peterson tracked down concerned four candidates from a Philadelphia high school. James Q. Wilson, professor of Government, heard from a group of Dunster students that in this school three radical students had been rejected and one conservative admitted who was less qualified than any of the other three.

Peterson checked his folders and found the only Philadelphia school where one student had been admitted and three rejected. Of the supposed radicals, one was sergeant-at-arms of his teenage Republican Club, another was described by his interviewer as "the Boy Scout type," and the third had no political information in his folder.

The student who was admitted had lower scores than the other three but had unusual musical ability. He had performed with the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of nine.

On the other end of the political spectrum, one irate alumnus wrote: "[My son] is just an average clean-cut intelligent American boy. He probably wouldn't be interested in throwing a dean of Harvard College down the stairs. He might spend more time at Widener than baiting police. Obviously he isn't Harvard material by your standards."

Peterson admitted that alumni interviewers and schools can report unfavorably on radical candidates, but he pointed out that "we don't worship any part of the report." In addition, the Admissions Committee is used to interpreting school reports at more than face value, he said.

As an example of a radical who was not discriminated against, Peterson cited one underground newspaper editor who used one of his articles from the paper as his application essay. Sprinkled with four-letter words, it was, according to Peterson, radical in outlook. The alumni interviewer said the candidate was aggressive in his manner.

His radicalism aside, the student was admitted because his writing style was considered outstanding. "He sounded like another Norman Mailer," Peterson explained.

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