Tonight's Harvard-M.I.T. track meet in Briggs Cage should be a real family affair. Crimson coach William W. McCurdy and Tech mentor Arthur E. Farnham, Jr. dined together yesterday and seem to have planned their teams' 7 p.m. meeting both for the spectators' entertainment and the athletes' enjoyment.

M.I.T. does not equal Crimson standards in most running events. McCurdy will accordingly give his runners a change of pace, entering milers Mark Mullin, Eddie Meehan, and Bob Knapp in the 600, and speedsters Don Kirkland and Dave Nawi in the mile.

Farnham has a powerful hurdle corps, however. Sophomore Jack Spitzberg and junior Gary Grikscheit will lead the Crimson's attempt to break into the hurdle scoring column.

Looking to Saturday's battle with highly-rated Manhattan, Harvard weight coach Edgar B. Stowell is keeping top weight throwers Ted Bailey and Art Doten out of competition. Rick DeLone and Sarge Nichols will head a still-powerful Harvard weight team.

Stowell's freshman team, led by shotputter Art Croasdale and Olympic sprinter Aggrey Awori, may provide some of the outstanding performances of the evening. Croasdale set the University indoor shot put record in Monday's B.U. meet. Awori has clocked a 9.4 seccentury, and reached the semifinals in the 1960 Olympic 100-meter dash competition.

Distance standout Ed Hamlin is sitting out the meet because of a minor tendon injury sustained in cross-country running. He and weight men Doten and Bailey may perform for "good fun," though not officially competing.

The most exciting event of the evening may be the finale, the two-mile relay. Coach McCurdy has divided his numerous distance runners into two fairly evenly-matched relay teams, which will probably be unopposed by M.I.T. It should be a suitable ending to a leisurely evening for Harvard.

It could also put the tracksters in top physical and psychological shape for their crucial battle with Manhattan Saturday.