The 1961 Combined Charities Drive commences this evening with the highest goal in the drive's history. This year's goal, $24,000, is $1,500 more than the mark set for the previous effort.

Explaining the reason for the new figure, Douglas M. Lange '64, chairman of the drive, said, "It is a perfectly reasonable goal for a school of 4,700." He noted that both Princeton and Yale have considerably larger drives.

Last year Combined Charities netted more than $22,000, the largest amount ever collected.

Dean Monro will speak at a dinner tonight for all drive workers which will offically open the campaign.

Phillips Brooks House and the Boston United Fund are the only two charities back from last year's "big six." Phillips Brooks is perennially one of the Drive's great beneficiaries, deriving about half its income from Combined Charities. The United Fund is included, according Lange, "to help fulfill our obligation to the Boston community."

Two of the six major charities are completely new to the drive--WGBH television, and the World University Service. WGBH, Boston's educational channel, suffered a $1,500,000 loss last October when its plant was completely destroyed by fire. WUS is a relief organization financed solely by student contributions which carries out educational programs in 40 countries.

The other two on the recommended list have moved up from last year's suggested list according to a regular rotation schedule. National Scholarship Service and Fund for Negro Students replaces the United Negro College Fund, and UNESCO takes the place of UNICEF.

The Combined Charities Scholarship fund has been dropped because last year's directors decided not enough money could be collected to endow a permanent scholarship. Money collected for the fund was turned over to the University scholarship office.

One noticeable addition to the roster of suggested charities is the Harvard-Radcliffe World Cultural Society scholarship fund, which is used to bring foreign students to the University.