Heritage Society Responds

The Harvard Heritage Society is writing to thank Scott M. Singer '98 for his constructive Saturday letter, "Heritage Society is Appalling" (letter, Sept. 30, 1995). Singer was angered by our Friday jubilee in Government 1091: Liberalism and Conservatism in American Politics, where we presented the David Duke Award in Faculty Excellence to Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield and the Heinrich Himmler Award in Social Vision to George F. Will.

Mr. Singer wrote, "During the integration of Southern universities in the 1960's, protests may have raged outside the classroom, but inside the schoolhouses, students were at least able to obtain an education." We take Mr. Singer's criticism very earnestly because he offers constructive advice for how we might more closely follow the example of those heroic fighters for racial purity who protested integration outside their schools. We thank Mr. Singer for having enough faith in us to believe that we could, one day, live up to the time-honored standards of our white brethren fighting against racial contamination in the 1960s.

Moreover, we agree with Mr. Singer that we were in error in attempting to interrupt the sacred forum of a Harvard classroom. We offer our most humble apologies to the entire university, and even to the threatened heritage we are trying to uphold. Sometimes, in our zeal, we go too far. We hope our jubilant "disruption" did not tarnish the great honor we hoped to bestow upon the award recipients.

Mr. Singer asked that we pay a compensation of $15 per student for the time taken by our award ceremony. Instead, and acknowledging Scott M. Singer '98's enriching historical perspective, we would like to offer him the position of Jefferson Davis Fellow of the Harvard Heritage Society.

Although we are unable to give refunds, we are able to credit the $15 towards payment of our membership fee, which happens to be the same amount. --James Alphues Clayton III '97   J. Lincoln Oppenheimer '96-'97   for the Harvard Heritage Society