Political Vote Rejects Professor

Actually although this was the public issue, Bowen felt his real "mistake" was supporting Daniel Webster and the Compromise of 1850. In the vote, all the Free-Soilers and Democrats who were on the Board because of a state political position opposed Bowen. The Whig political members of the Overseers and all but one of the regular members of the Board backed him, but the final vote was 39 to 33 against Bowen.

The idea of polities deciding a college appointment seemed so wrong to most people that a drive began to free the University of this burden; after 1866 the governor, the lieutenant-governor, and other state officials stopped serving as ex-office Overseers. From that post-Civil War period on, the Overseers have been elected by the alumni--five each year for six year terms.

The franchise has broadened so that any degree holder now may vote in the spring election while in 1866 it was limited to men with an A.B., A.M., or an honorary degree. The composition of the Board has also broadened geographically; after the Civil War only Massachusetts men could serve, while today two-thirds of the Overseers come from outside the state. Beyond the East, there are six from tile Mid-west and two from California.

The distance some Board members must travel, together with the complexity of the University, prevents the Overseers from meeting often enough to handle much of Harvard's business. Many decisions are left to the Corporation and to the faculties of the various schools.

Role of Corporation

The seven-man Corporation must approve any decision before it reaches the Overseers, but its special concern is the spending and investment of the University's money. The Overseers do hold the final control in the financial field, but the money is usually spent before the Board can do anything about it.

When it comes to plicies on student discipline, course offerings, and admission and degree requirements, unwritten practice gives the decision to the individual faculty involved.

Although the Overseers are now investigating the de-emphasis of Geography, that was one decision that never even got to the Faculty of Arts and Sceinces. The Geology Department simply decided to stop offering a program for honors in geography. As that was a departmental province, the matter ended there until the Overseers stepped in.

Even the questions that are supposed to reach the Overseers have a long route to follow. The appointment of RAlph J. Bunche as professor of Government called for three separate recommendations. This was standard procedure in the Faculty of Arts and sciences (the College and G.S.A.S.) since it was a life-time appointment. With a departmental vacancy existing, the Government professors met and made a departmental choice.

'Ad Hoc' Committee System

Then President Conant appointed an "ad hoe" committee which met once, made a recommendation, and dissolved. The "ad hoe" committee, unique to Harvard, has under ten members falling into three categories: Harvard professors from fields related to Government (in this case), Government professors from other institutions, and teaching laymen with a knowledge of government work. Conant presides without a vote at the committee meeting.

The Dean of the Faculty, Paul H. Buck, then passed his own recommendation, together with the others, on to the Corporation. After corporation action, it went finally to the Board of Overseers. There the Bunche appointment waited a meeting and was approved months after the first step was taken.

Through the years the Overseers have stayed mostly a silent force at Harvard. What is said at meetings remains secret, and no particular man is singled out as having been an outstanding member of the Board.

The greatest problem in to keep the Board a living part of the Harvard administration; there were times of controversy when the Overseers' approval or rejection was their most vital function. Now these somewhat-negative and limited duties are less important.

While they cannot initiate proposals the Overseers have kept themselves an active, worthwhile group by watching all phases of the University