Harvard's 45 varsity football letter winners yesterday elected junior defensive end John Cramer to succeed Vic Gatto as captain of next year's team.

Cramer played on both the left and right sides as Coach John Yovicsin used three ends on his solid defensive team. Last year Cramer saw action only with the JV's, and he was not expected to be a major contributor this fall. An injury to Pete Hall enabled him to show his ability, and when Hall returned for the Dartmouth game, Cramer became the heavily-used "swing man."

The captain-elect felt that the first several games this year gave him a great deal of needed confidence and helped him feel looser and play better each week thereafter. His improvement caused coach Tom Stephenson to remark. "John was an unknown quantity at the beginning of the year, but now he's one of the top defensive ends in the league."

Earlier in the season, Yovicsin said, "John has given us good, solid, consistent play in all phases of the game. He's been a big factor in the success of the defensive unit."

Cramer said he was "very stunned" by his election and grinned shyly as Boston sports writers peppered him with questions about his family, his travels, and his boxing prowess, and made occasional inquiries about football.

Cramer told reporters that while eating dinner at the Framingham Motor Inn last Friday night, he and a few teammates had discussed the captaincy and had "eliminated almost everybody." He explained that this meant "there were a lot of people who could have been awarded the captaincy."

"Being the captain is a very weighty responsibility, especially when I have to take the place of Vic Gatto," Cramer said. "It hasn't really sunk in yet." Cramer predicted that next year's team should be very good, especially on offense, but that most of the opposition will probably improve, too.

Cramer's election marked a return to the usual policy of choosing lineman to be captains. Gatto was the first back to be elected since 1953, when Dick Clasby led the team.

The Frederick Greeley Crocker Award, which is given to the most valuable player, was presented to Vic Gatto, who is the all-time leading Harvard ground-gainer, at a Harvard Club banquet last night.

Yovicsin praised Gatto at length. "Vic has done so many things for Harvard College and for Harvard football in particular," he said. "He just does everything. Anything you say about Vic Gatto is an understatement."

Joseph C. McKinney was the recipient of the William Paine LaCroix Award, which is given to the "unsung hero." McKinney has been a back-up punter and a member of the kick-off team. It was McKinney who threw the block that enabled Bill Kelly to recover the on-sides kick in the Yale game. "Joe has been extremely reliable and dependable, and a real asset," Yovicsin said.