"Encore '44'" the Harvard Class of 1944's 25th reunion, comes to a halt today. With all the traditional hats and hoopla the graduates partied and picnicked their way through what one class member called "the best week of my life."
This reunion, one of the most expensive and elaborate ever held, hit peaks at the traditional trip to the Boston Pops on Monday, a party at the Essex Country Club on Tuesday, and last night's formal dinner-dance at the Sheraton Plaza Hotel. Today's alumni parade to the commencement ceremonies will bring the week to a close.
The main topic of conversation, surpassing all reminiscences and talk of children and jobs, was the spring revolution. Most of the class backed President Pusey, while expressing some sympathy for the idealism of youth today.
Almost to a man they criticized SDS. Just to make the opinions official, however, the reunion committee provided them with a questionnaire which was answered by 128 classmates, 61 of their wives and assorted sons and daughters.
The form provided statements such as "President Pusey was right in calling in the police when he did" and offered spaces for yes, no and no-opinion answers.
By better than a 2-1 margin the classmates and their families said that ROTC should be denied academic credit at Harvard, but they likewise affirmed their opinion that students should be able to take ROTC courses at Harvard if they wish.
Forty-nine per cent of those answering the questionnaire said that Harvard should not stop expansion into low-cost housing areas in Boston and Cambridge. Twenty-seven per cent opposed expansion with the rest undecided.
On issues of the bust and the strike the class tended to support President Pusey and criticize the Faculty. Forty-two per cent answered "no" to a question which read "Although the Faculty did not fully support the Administration in the recent troubles, I approve the stand taken by the Faculty.
Fifty-eight per cent said they approved of President Pusey's action in calling in the police.
On issues of student power most of the class said that they felt that students should have a voice in choosing the courses that will be offered but not in choosing the faculty that will teach them. Fifty-four per cent favored the restructuring of the Corporation to include representatives of the entire Harvard community, including students. TPS
