Professor Questions Frazier's Scholarship

The author of an article that Dr. Shervert H. Frazier admitted to quoting without proper attribution said yesterday that breach was not serious, but he said the eminent Harvard psychiatrist's other acts of plagiarism did warrant his resignation.

The article's author, University of Rochester Professor George L. Engel, went on to say that the revelations regarding Frazier led him to question how Frazier was able to become the head of McLean Hospital.

Engel's article was one of four from which the University's Faculty Conduct Committee found Frazier had copied "substantial portions." The committee's findings were made public when the Medical School accepted Frazier's resignation as director of McLean Hospital and from his professorship last month.

"The question should be in people's minds, `How come a person in so many respects mediocre rises to such distinguished positions?'" Engel said. "He wasn't a great teacher, he wasn't a great administrator, he wasn't a great scholar. What more do you ask for in a [hospital director]?"

A former head of the National Institute of Mental Health, Frazier has not commented on the affair. Many of his colleagues say that Frazier has been a leader in his field.

Frazier, who had held posts at Harvard since 1972, resigned after admitting that he had committed plagiarism in the four articles published between 1966 and 1975. He had been director of McLean since 1986.

Three of the four articles in question were brought to the committee's attention by a graduate student at the University of Rochester in August. During the investigation, the committee found that Frazier had plagiarized Engel in a fourth article.

But Engel said that Frazier made only minor errors when making use of his article in a published work. "I would not regard it as plagiarism in my instance beyond a very limited copyright sense," Engel said.

In the paper titled, "Principles of Psychiatric Emergency Management," Frazier cited Engel's work correctly, but failed to put quotation marks around several paragraphs which were copied almost verbatim, the committee found.

"He gave a full reference and changed a few words so that quotation marks were not appropriate," said Engel. "But I have seen the other three examples, which are quite blatant," headded.

Engel said he did not know why the committeedecided to include Frazier's use of his article inits report.

"I don't know why [it was included]. Dean [ofFaculty Affairs] Eleanor G. Shore told me herselfthat it was a marginal case," said Engel.

Med School officials say that members of theconduct committee will not comment on the report.

Engel said he could not say whether Harvard hadtaken appropriate action in accepting Frazier'sresignation because he was not aware of all thefacts in the case.

Scholars both here and elsewhere havecriticized Harvard for allowing a highlyrecognized psychiatrist to resign in disgrace forwhat they see as a minor flaw in an otherwisedistinguished career.

Harvard officials have maintained thatplagiarism is a serious offense and cannot betreated lightly in any situation.

Engel said that he thinks Frazier, who has notmade any public statements since his resignation,should come forward to tell his side of the story.

"Dr. Frazier should confront the press. Thefact that he hasn't should raise questions," saidEngel