Seventeen area college and graduate school professors were subpoenaed yesterday for appearance at hearings before a Senate sub-committee on Internal Security at Boston next Thursday.

"I understand there are several Harvard professors on the list," said U.S. Deputy Marshal Ralph W. Gray, who made the announcement. Gray's office has been serving the summons for two days, but the marshal said he was under orders not to release the names of witnesses involved.

The sub-committee is headed by Senator William E. Jenner (R-Ind.), but Jenner could not be contacted last night in Washington. Thus, the number of Harvard professors involved could not be determined.

Velde Summons

Gray also said he had received and served 12 summons for professors to appear before House Un-American Activities Committee hearings in Washington. The Committee, headed by Rep. Harold H. Velde (R-III) Wednesday "invited" Wendell H. Furry, professor of Physics, to testify on April 16 but whether any more University officers were among yesterday's 12 was not disclosed.

Most recent investigations by Jenner's group, a sub-committee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have paralleled those of Velde's House group. However, the exact purpose of Jenner's investigations here has not yet been made public.