Moynihan Plans to Quit; Will Return to University

Daniel P. Moynihan, assistant to President Nixon for Urban Affairs, announced Sunday that he will resign before February to return to Harvard.

Moynihan's decision comes within the time limit of two years for Faculty members on leave of absence. Under the rule, a Faculty member may not return to his job after more than two years in another post.

Upon his return, he will resume his post as Director of the Harvard-M. I. T. Joint Center for urban Affairs.

W. Ronald Wormser, assistant to the dean for Administration in the Graduate School of Education, said yesterday that he had not been informed of Moynihan's decision. Theodore Sizer, dean of the Graduate School of Education, is on vacation in Canada.

Moynihan first drew national attention with the publication of the "Moynihan Report" on the black family in urban ghettos. The report, which suggested that many economic problems of ghetto blacks were caused by poor family patterns, drew heavy criticism from many black leaders.

Deeper

A subsequent book on the Federal poverty program, Maximum Feasible Misunderstanding, embroiled Moynihan deeper in controversy. The book-the title of which satirized a Federal slogan. "Maximum possible participation"-charged that community organizing programs funded by the Office of Economic Opportunity were doing more harm than good.

OEO spokesmen and liberal legislators replied heatedly, alleging that Moynihan had an elitist and calculating approach to poverty programs.

Since assuming office in the Nixon Administration in 1968, Moynihan has been the subject of attacks from blacks and conservative senators. Congressional conservatives denounced Moynihan's influence in President Nixon's Welfare Reform proposals-proposals which standards in all 50 states and a guaranteed minimum income for poor families.

Civil rights and militant groups attacked a proposal contained in a confidential memorandum to the President on proper Administration stance toward the problems of blacks. As leaked to the press, the memorandum suggested a policy of "benign neglect" toward blacks, and urged the President instead to pay more attention to low-income and working-class whites.

Moynihan's penchant for controversyspread to members of his staff, Richard D. Blumenthal '67, who went to Washington with Moynihan as an aide, was offered the job of director of Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), and OEO community organizing project. Ninety-one members of Congress-some of whom had criticized VISTA as a group of "troublemakers"-signed a petition to Nixon urging him to withdraw the offer.

Blumenthal reportedly declined the job, saying that he could not defend the Administration's policies in Indochina.

As Moynihan announced his plans to resign, he admitted that the Welfare Reform package is in trouble in Congress. "It would take a miracle to get it through," he said.

"Miracles are rare this year." he added.