2 More for Overseer Support Divestment

Two of the 10 candidates handpicked by the University to run for Harvard's Board of Overseers said this week that they support a policy of divestment from companies that do business in South Africa.

The two, Franklin D. Raines '71 and Parker G. Montgomery '49, hold views similar to those of three candidates on a pro-divestment slate who gained nomination for the alumni-wide election by petition.

Of the eight other candidates nominated by the Alumni Association, six said in interviews this week that they oppose divestment, and two said they are undecided.

Five of the 13 candidates will be elected for six-year terms on the board, which is one of Harvard's two governing bodies. The other is the Corporation.

This year's Overseer election has gained unusual attention because of both the self-nomination of the divestment candidates and the inclusion with the official ballot packet of a letter critical of their campaign.

The letter, by Board of Overseers President Joan T. Bok '51, urged alumni to think "carefully" before voting for"specific issue" candidates. Alluding to the threeAlumni Against Apartheid candidates, Bok--norelation to President Derek C. Bok--wrote thattheir election would make for "a very differentBoard than it has been heretofore."

The pro-divestment candidates, John T. Plotz'69, Gay W. Seidman '78 and Kenneth H. Simmons'54, have charged that the letter--sent to all190,000 alumni--constituted unfair electioneering.They have demanded a chance to reply.

In addition to declaring his support forHarvard's divestment, Raines was also among aminority of official candidates interviewed whosaid he was opposed to the letter.

"I think the letter was unfortunate because theimpact of Bok's letter is that the associationnominees all seem to be aginst divestiture," hesaid.

Raines, a general partner in the internationalbanking concern Lazard Freres, said he was notasked about his position on divestment whenselected by the Alumni Association to run for theboard.

The other official nominee who said he supportsdivestment, Parker G. Montgomery '49, said hewould not comment on the letter because, "I nevervoluntarily step in front of dog pissing on a lamppost."

But Montgomery insisted that the Universitytake action to change South Africa, and he calleddivestment only a first step.

"The United States experiment in democracy isan absolute fantastic success," said Montgomery,chairman of the board of California-basedCoopervision Inc. "The time has come to standaside from those nations which don't follow thatmodel. The time of temporizing is over."

Neither Raines or Montgomery mentions hissupport of divestment in the brief biographicalsketches adjacent to their photos in the electionpacket. South Africa and divestment were theprimary topics of the blurbs submitted by theAlumni Against Apartheid candidates.

The winners of the election will be announcedat the June 5 Commencement exercises. In responseto a demand by the divestment slate, theUniversity has agreed to have an outside auditortally the ballots.

Activist Role?

As have the Alumni Against Apartheidcandidates, both Raines and Montgomeryacknowledged that it would be difficult to use apost on the Board of Overseers as a platform fromwhich to press for a change in Harvard'sinvestment policy, which is controlled separatelyby the Corporation.

In contrast to the Corporation, whichsupervises all financial matters as well as theday-to-day operations of the University, theOverseers assert their authority through thereview of personnel appointments and the settingof long-term academic policy for the variousfaculties.

Beyond echoing arguments long-held byUniversity officials, several candidates whoopposed divestment said in interviews this weekthat they agree with the Bok letter and believe itis inappropriate for Overseers to get involvedwith such an issue.

"Mrs. Bok put the election in the properperspective," said candidate Henry Van der Eb '42,who chairs the Harvard College Fund, the annualUniversity fundraising effort. "The Overseers donot set policy of this nature."

"The intent of the letter was fair," saidcandidate Dr. Glen D. Nelson '59, chairman andchief executive officer of American MedCenters."Whether the result is fair, only time will tell,we'll see who gets elected."

Two candidates said they have yet to decidewhat their position is on divestment. One of them,James C. Dudley '43, a venture capitalist, said:"It's a very complicated issue, there is no blackor white.