KIELY AND INFLUENCE

To the Editors of The Crimson:

Under the headline "Kiely Allegedly Used Influence To Get Positions for Berryman," Peter Shapiro has charged that Professor Kiely "used his influence as master and professor of English over the past two years to help a close friend gain administrative and faculty appointments." Shapiro has carefully selected details, some of which are true, to create an overall falsehood.

Shapiro damns Kiely because he has used "influence." In fact, the high standards of this University result precisely from the wise and ethical use of influence. In choosing Father Berryman as Allston Burr Senior Tutor of Adams House, Professor Kiely has exercised his rightful prerogative and, moreover, his moral and professional duty to select the best qualified person for the position. To call this duty undue use of influence is totally unreasonable.

But has he exercised it wisely? Shapiro suggests that he has not. He states that Berryman "came to the post with less experience at Harvard than any other senior tutor." He notes that Dean Whitlock discouraged Berryman's appointment. Though both statements may be true, neither is relevant to the wisdom of Kiely's having appointed Berryman. The real question is, has Father Berryman performed his job well?

Shapiro does his best to impugn Berryman's performance. But even Shapiro's article includes such descriptions by students of Berryman as "a genial, compassionate man with an interest in students" and "effective, accessible to students and a hard worker." The charge that Shapiro musters against Berryman--the sole specific charge--is that he "knew 'next to nothing' about the regulations pertaining to Independent Work projects as late as November." If that constitutes a Crimson expose, so be it.

In fact, Father Berryman has provided a unique cultural and educational atmosphere in Adams House. Sacrificing the continuity of his academic life in England, he has contributed significantly to life in the House and in the University. Those of us who live and work with him have found him to be an excellent senior tutor--a finding that suggests that Master Kiely has exercised his prerogatives wisely. Romney Mosely   Gustavus Zimmerman   Joseph Kruzel,   Assistant Senior Tutors   The Adams House Committee   and 16 residents of Adams House