Rumors of F.B.L. and armed services intelligence agents plaguing the Dean's office for information on various alumnis' political affiliations while in college seemed to worry college liberal and progressive groups--including the Y.P.'s.
Later in May Dean Watson reassured members that their names will never be revealed to the government or to prospective employers.
A few days later, however, an F.B.L. agent denied that the Bureau would ever specifically ask for a man's college record it seems a glance at a college year book, which normally lists an undergraduate's clubs, is usually sufficient
Charge and Retreat
Perhaps the most horrible mistake is the Young Progressive's history occurred in the fall of 1949 December 6 to be exact. That night the Y.P.'s accused the Combined Charities Drive of "deliberate fraud and misrepresentation" and two hours afterwards had to admit they were entirely wrong. The Club charged that the Student Council in a "deliberate design to misrepresent" has asked the name of one of the six groups on the Combined Charities list.
The charity referred to was "The National Scholarship Service and Fund for Negro Students"; the Y.P.'s claimed that the Council invented the name and the money donated to it actually went to the "United Negro College Fund," which helps private, segregated Negro colleges.
The latter Fund was on the C.C. list the year before, and at that time some students had protested because its group fostered segregation. "It is apparent that the Council purposely changed the name of the Jim Crow Weed this year to deceive students," the club fumed.
But two hours later the Y.P.'s had to confess they were wrong. A letter to the Council, and the Council president combined to cause the mishap.
The United Negro College Fund wrote the Council a thank-you note for its help. "We didn't read the letter carefully, Beveridge explained. "We thought it meant Harvard was supporting the Fund this year." This supposition was aided by the Council president's admitting to a Y.P. member that the money was again going to the segregated "United Negro College Fund."
Non-segragation finally won, however, when a couple of phone calls rectified the error and cleared the Council of any racial prejudice accusations