Although not officially announced by either the English Department or the University reliable sources indicate that Fred Norris Robinson '91, Gurney Professor of English Literature, will resign before the end of the academic year.

Announcement of Professor Robinson's retirement is expected at the Monday meeting of the Corporation or at some later session. Three men are most prominently mentioned as successors to the Gurney chair.

Professor Robinson will be sixty-eight next month and has been eligible to retire on pension for the past two years. He has taught Celtic and early English Literature at Harvard since 1902.

Magoun takes over Courses

The announcement of next year's courses of instruction have omitted Professor Robinson's name. Professor Magoun is slated to take over the Gurney Professor's courses on Beowulf and Historical English Grammar.

With the retirement of Professor Lowes in December the expected vacancy will leave two full professorships open to younger men in the department. Rumor in the English Department rates Professor Kenneth B. Murdock, Master of Leverett House, as most likely successor to the Gurney chair.