Dark clouds gathered and a cold but muggy wind whistled through black gowns yesterday morning as the Class of '57 marched uneasily into the Sever Quadrangle to say good-bye to itself and to Harvard College. The affair was Class Day.

The class began to gather before University Hall at 10 p.m. while anxious parents looked heavenward to see whether precipitation would occur before the march to the flag-decked quadrangle began. "What lovely raindrops," remarked Lowell House Master Elliot Perkins, arriving at the scene as a little rain fell.

First Marshal John A. Simourian, whose white shoes and trousers gleamed from beneath his somber gown, began the ceremonies with the introduction of George A. Buttrick, Preacher to the University, who delivered the invocation. Class Orator Robert W. Scrivner followed, who based his oration on "Veritas" and its meaning to the Class of 1957.

Scrivner discussed the senior's increasing realization that there is "no real truth," a realization which comes at last when one asks his professor a vital question and receives as an answer, "I don't know."

The oration was followed with a reading by John Ratte of his Class Poem, which, asking what kind of verse was appropriate, concluded with the decision that "We like our poetry without occasion."

Stephen A. Aaron followed with the Ivy Oration, in which he revealed that the setter of the Mem Hall fire was really Cesare D. Balzotti, "agent provocateur for Mr. Vellucci," discovered to be Ming Emperor Sey-Pu, whose name, unscrambled, might be easily recognized.

In a change of mood, Francis Keppel, Dean of the School of Education told of the death of Richard G. and Henry R. Ames, and presented the Ames Awards to Tatsuo Arima and Peter K. Gunness.

The program then concluded with the recitation of "Class Odist" William S. Gray's verses to "Fair Harvard," and the singing of them by Class Chorister Joel M. Bernstein and the audience.