Mather Seniors Urge Boycott Of College Fund

A group of Mather House seniors yesterday urged their classmates in the House to withhold payment of pledges to the Harvard-Radcliffe College Fund until the University "takes significant steps" to reduce overcrowding in Mather.

The group includes all four Mather House class agents, students from the Class of '76 who solicit pledges from their classmates for the College Fund, and the House's two class committee representatives.

Mather House's senior class agents will continue to solicit funds, but will advise students to withhold payment until action is taken to alleviate overcrowding both College-wide and in Mather, Sally Cantor '76, a Mather House class agent, said yesterday.

The amount of money pledged by Mather should total "around $4000 in the next five years," Carl J. Schumann '76, a Mather House class agent, said yesterday. He added that withholding pledges will only be an effective way of bringing pressure if Mather gets the support of other Houses' class agents.

Peter F. Clifton '49, executive director of the Harvard College Fund, said yesterday that withholding pledges might be effective, "but unfortunately it probably will affect things other than housing."

Counterproductive Boycott

Clifton said that more than half of the fund's income goes to scholarships and financial aid. "Boycotting the fund will be counterproductive and will result in better living conditions at the expense of financial aid."

Bruce Collier, assistant dean of the College, said yesterday he "cannot imagine an action less likely to influence University policy." He compared the boycott of the College Fund to a "bribe," and said he "cannot imagine taking a bribe to reduce crowding in a House."

The proposed boycott is "not a threat, but more of a general warning" that the University will lose money if the crowding is not improved, Ken Josselyn '77, vice-chairman of the Mather House Committee, said yesterday.

Build a House

Collier said he believes it would be much more effective if seniors gave money to build a House specifically to relieve overcrowding.

Seniors "carry a lot of weight as future alumni," and the University should be responsive to their views because they "do not have any self-interest in the outcome of the issue," Cantor said.