In Search of Excellence

To the Editors of The Crimson:

Standards of excellence are vital in our society to lead the way--to light the way--to inspire. But there are responsibilities: standards must remain high--excellence must mean excellence.

Harvard University has long been an important standard of excellence in America but I fear it is failing to live up its responsibilities in upholding standards. Two matters concern me--and as I put them down I realize that neither has to do with academic standards. What am I concerned with is something more important than academic standards: ethical standards and ethical actions.

In 1982, Science reported: "Harvard delays in reporting fraud." This was a case of fraud (Jan 29) in medical research. This hurt all of us. This failure lent support for the most common excuse: "everyone else does it". Harvard does it too. Our standards of excellence should not--must not--delay in reporting fraud or in swiftly correcting the reasons for the delay and the fraud.

My second example of a Harvard failure I read in today paper (Phila, Inquirer October 2, 1984) President Bok of Harvard, while deploring apartheid, supported Harvard's action of refusing to divest itself to investments in South Africa.

All fair-minded people deplore the murderous racism in South Africa--so cruel that it makes racism in America look mild. But what counts is action to end it--not nice words.

Harvard failed again. It should have slopped doing business with South Africa long ago--because such business supports a cruel racism. But what President Bok is reported as saying concerns me even more.

He is quoted as saying: "Much as I oppose apartheid, I strongly believe that universities should not attempt to me their power to press their political and economic views on other organizations and individuals beyond the campus Wrong!. Wrong! Wrong! 200 percent wrong. Wrong and a very bad example. If child labor and slavery existed just outside the Harvard campus would not the University have a moral and ethical responsibility to use all its power to end those injustices? Certainly.

Human beings are being killed and abused in South Africa! What good is a University if it does not actively try to change the world outside its campus for the better? I will tell you: It is worthless.

The best colleges are those that take action on social matters. The first colleges in America to admit Blacks were the best colleges. The first colleges to admit women where the best colleges. I would have thought that Ronald Reagan or Jerry Falwell wrote the statement attributed to President Bok.

If we graduate people who do not take social, economic, and political actions to make a better world--then we will never have a better world. And how better to teach students than to let them see the University putting its money where its mouth is.

How sad for Black human beings in South Africa. How sad for decency, fairness and justice. How sad Harvard's example. How sad an example for education in America.

I hope some people at Harvard and other colleges have higher standards of behavior. If you fail to take effective and available action to end a wrong--you are supporting it.

I believe Harvard is a great University in some says, but it has failed these two most important tests. And that hurts all of us. W.T.M. Johnson

Glen Mills, Pennsylvannia