President Pusey will appoint a new dean of the Graduate School Education within the next two weeks, Administration sources reported yesterday.

Leading contender for the post of dean is Judson T. Shaplin '42, who has served as acting dean since Dec. 10, 1962, when former Den Francis G. Keppel '38 left to become U.S. Commissioner of Education.

Shaplin was appointed associate dean in 1954, and worked closely with Keppel in developing the School of Education as a leader in training and research for teaching. He also has served as director of Harvard's Master of Arts in Teaching Program, and as coordinator of the Ed School project to establish a comprehensive high school in Aiyetoro, Nigeria, which opened two weeks ago.

According to one official, Shaplin is the only man from within the University being considered for the post of dean. However the possibility remains that President Pusey may appoint someone from outside Harvard to the job.

Pusey has traveled around the country in the last few weeks to visit other graduate schools of education in order to get an idea of what future programs the School might undertake, and what kind of a man would be best fitted to direct them.

The official reported that Pusey might be considering someone like the superintendent of schools in a large metropolitan city, or a state commissioner of education for the job of dean. However, the source did not mention any names.

Contacted in Washington yesterday, Keppel said that Pusey had mentioned to him the problem of appointing a new dean before he had left, but that he had no idea who might be appointed to the post. "It's an awkward thing for the former dean to be consulted about." he said.

The new dean will take over the direction of the School at a critical time. Under Keppel, the School increased its income ten-fold from 1948 to the present, and became a leader in many programs of educational research and teacher training.

But the Ed School is still plagued by a shortage of funds, and one well-placed source reported that it may have to undertake a new capital funds drive in the near future.

Another problem that the new dean will have to face is the relocation of the School's staff and facilities. Sometime this Spring, the Graduate School of Education will move from its old and cramped quarters in Lawrence Hall and Batchelder House to Longfellow Hall, which was purchased from Radcliffe in 1961.

Work will start this summer on construction of a new seven-story building to house the School.