Top Official Tied To Overseers Ad

University Vice President for Alumni Affairs Fred L. Glimp '50 helped the president of Stanford University publish a letter encouraging alumni not to vote for "single-issue candidates" in this year's hotly contested Board of Overseers election.

Appearing as a full-page advertisement in this month's issue of Harvard Magazine, the letter by Stanford President Donald Kennedy '52 was an effort to caution against voting for an independently nominated slate of prodivestment Overseers candidates that includes South African Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu.

For the past four years, Harvard-Radcliffe Alumni Against Apartheid (HRAAA) has put forward a slate of candidates for the 30-member governing board in an effort to force the University to sell its $163.8 million in South Africa-related investments.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Kennedy, a former overseer, said that although he wrote the letter on his own iniative, Glimp referred him to the alumnus who eventually paid more than $9500 for its publication in the magazine, which is sent to all University alumni.

HRAAA Executive Director Robert P. Wolff '54 said he was "astonished" by Glimp's involvement and called the vice president's action "entirely inappropriate."

"It's the equivalent of the head of an election commission in a state election cooperating with one party rather than the other party," Wolff said. "It's the sort of thing [former Chicago Mayor] Richard Daley used to do, not the sort of thing I thought Harvard would do."

But Glimp said it was perfectly Iegitimate for him to refer Kennedy--an oldfriend--to someone who could help him publish theletter. Glimp said Kennedy had talked aboutwriting such a letter for some time.

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Glimpsaid. "I'm referring him to someone who's active.Kennedy took the initiative."

President Derek C. Bok refused to commentyesterday on whether Glimp's actions wereappropriate. Three years ago, Bok drew heavycriticism for authorizing a mailing to alumniendorsing the official Overseers slate.

Both Kennedy and Glimp said that other Harvardadministrators had not been consulted about theletter, although Kennedy said he had discussed theidea with Bok previously.

"In the past I had told Bok that I thought itwould be a good idea for somebody who hadexperience with the governing boards, but wassome-what outside the Harvard orbital, to commenton [the 'single-issue' candidates]," Kennedy said."In previous conversations, he had indicatedconcern over the problem, but there was no directencouragement for my involvement."

Bok said he did not read the letter before itwas published but would not say if he haddiscussed it with Kennedy while it was beingwritten. Bok and Kennedy are longtime personalfriends.

Early last month, Kennedy told Glimp he wasfinally going ahead with the letter and askedGlimp how to go about releasing it. Glimp referredKennedy to Charles J. Egan '54, who formerlychaired the University's official committee tonominate overseers.

"I faxed Egan the letter and he said he wouldsend it to Harvard Magazine," Kennedy said."Egan and a group of alumni decided to run it asan ad."

A line at the bottom of Kennedy's letter in themagazine reads, "Advertisement paid for by aconcerned alumnus."

Egan, the vice president of Hallmark Cards,said he had often spoken to colleagues about whathe calls HRAAA's effort "to take over thegovernance of the University." He said Glimp didnot act inappropriately.

"What should Mr. Glimp do?" Egan said. "He wasasked a question and he gave an answer."

Egan described himself "as a catalyst, andnothing more" in a campaign marked byvigorous--and controversial--activity on bothsides. Opponents of HRAAA have charged that theindependently nominated candidates do not haveHarvard's best interests at heart.

"The Board will not be helped by those who arecommitted to only a single issue," Kennedy wrotein his letter. "I hope that my fellow alumni andalumnae, as they consider their ballots and vote,will remember that their university is somethingprecious, that its stewardship requires attentionto a whole array of issues, and that it deservesthe full energy and loyalty of those who serveit."

And in March, Peter L. Malkin '55, one of thisyear's official Overseers candidates, wrote aletter to some alumni expressing concern that the"dissident" candidates would "wreak havoc" withthe Board.

Wolff, who called the text of Kennedy's letter"disingenuous and condescending," said he does notmind both sides campaigning openly, but added thatUniversity officials should remain neutral, asthey traditionally have.

"It is unconscionable for Fred Glimp to play apartisan role in an election which it is his roleto oversee," Wolff said. Just last week, HRAAAwrote a letter criticizing the University forhaving its own accounting firm count ballots.

But HRAAA's own tactics have come under fire.Both Egan and Malkin said their actions werepartly meant as a response to a letter to alumniby Professor of Law Derrick A. Bell endorsingTutu's candidacy.

"Mr. Wolff instigated a member of the LawSchool faculty to write a letter on official LawSchool stationery," Egan said. "His groupinstigated the letter written by Professor Belland gave it the distinct appearance of writing itas an officially sanctioned letter. I want to knowwhy Wolff got away with that."

Wolff said he would consider taking formalaction on Glimp's involvement