1874, students, occupying the room were known as "chums," to a section entitled "Assign- of College Rooms" in the Harvard University Catalogue for that year. In 1875-76 edition of the catalogue and editions, "chums" was by "roommates," while the rest assignment of College Rooms" was .

can now say why, in the hot summer of 1875, "chums" suddenly removed from the . It is possible to note, however, both before and after the change in jargon, room assignment was a simple matter based upon of application." Since that with the gradual increase in student members, the rooming situation for members of the College has become complicated. Particularly in the of incoming freshmen, the assignment of college rooms and roommates represents a time-consuming task.

rooms and "chums" (the came originally from "chamber ') from the Class of 1966 was the project of a three-man commit- senior advisers, headed by L. F.

In the process of creating work- interesting groups in the Yard , the committee used infor- already accumulated in , as well as the results of a questionnaire on rooming distributed by the Freshman Office in May.

did not try to play matchmaker, her to let students match them Jewett commented last week. step was to subdivide the class basis of what freshmen said about on the questionnaire."

rooming inquiry asked each to (1) list in order of interests he hoped to follow up (mountain climbing? dating? chemical engineer 2) describe his tastes and temperament; (3) state whether he cared about his future roommate's race, religion, or nationality; and (4) complete the sentence "If possible, I would prefer a roommate with the following characteristics..."

Jewett said that most freshmen completed the last statement by indicating concern about the degree to which a desirable roommate would smoke, drink, or insist upon neatness. These preferences, as well as the more general ones expressed in response to the first three questionnaire items, were followed as closely as possible in selecting roommates.

Diversity in the dorms was achieved by following three standards of balance. Public and private school graduates were mixed together. "For instance, we cannot have an Exeter dorm," Jewett said. Also, some freshmen with athletic talent or interest were placed in each dorm, so that intramural athletic competition would not prove completely one-sided. Finally, geographical distribution was sought and realized without great difficulty, since many freshmen specifically asked to be assigned a roommate from a different section of the country.

Jewett admitted that the committee can make mistakes in roommate combinations, because it is difficult to tell from paper forms what a boy will really be like when he arrives in September. The number of actual roommate break-ups is about eight or ten a year. "Generally, these splits occur because one roommate plays his violin at all hours of the night, or for some other reason connected with personal habits," Jewett continued. "Roommates almost never break up over large questions of educational or cultural values."

He suggested that one reason for the small number of roommate changes during the freshman year is that almost all rooms are well suited to multiple living since the renovation of the Yard dorms. In a suite of several rooms, it is possible for roommates to live together and get by their freshman year comfortably, even if they are not particularly compatible.

The opposite situation exists for freshmen in many Radcliffe dormitories, according to Catherine D. Williston, Dean of Freshmen. The "economy double," a room originally meant to be a single which now houses two girls on bunk beds, can make life difficult for roommates who are not close friends.

Miss Williston said that her office sees "no point in trying to mastermind" the assignment of freshman roommates too much, since the "very nature of this college and of these students means that the 318 girls in the Class of 1966 are already diversified." She added that Radcliffe girls are likely to be people who can adjust to a range of personalities, and who will therefore be able to get along with any roommate.

Radcliffe's freshman rooming problem, according to the Dean, is essentially a matter of space, and will therefore be partially remedied by the erection of the Fourth Hose.

The 'Cliffe class of '66 also completed a questionnaire on rooming preferences, largely concerned with study patterns, sleeping hours, and smoking. ("Do you think that social activity or study will be more important to you at college?" prospective 'Cliffies were asked. "Very few thought social activity would be more important," Miss Williston reported, "or at least they wouldn't say so.")

Using questionnaire responses and application folders, the Radcliffe Residence Office attempted to avoid major errors in freshman roommate assignment. "But there is a minimum number of things we can do, and after that the situation must and does take care of itself," Miss Williston said, "in this area, there is such a thing as working very hard for very little reward."

In freshman room assignment at both Radcliffe and Harvard, the working theory seems to be that freshman roommates need not be soulmates or confidantes of a lifetime, but only "chums" in the current colloquial sense of the term. "The rooming situation should be one in which a student can relax," Jewett concluded, "not one in which he must be converted or educated."