The History Department has cancelled previously announced plans to institute junior generals this spring.

"The exam was considered unworkable," H. Stuart Hughes, chairman of the department, said yesterday. History concentrators will now return to the old--and still operating--system under which a junior is permitted to wirte a thesis with Group IV standing and the recommendation of his tutor.

A five-man joint committee of senior and junior Faculty members was created two months ago to consider junior generals, as well as other questions arising out of a Harvard Policy Committee audit of the department.

The joint group had proposed serious modification of junior generals, but tenured members of the department decided to end them altogether, said Hughes, who was himself one of the committee members. The others were Elliott Perkins '23 and Frank B. Friedel Jr., both full professors, Partrick L. Higgonet, assistant professor, and Daniel Horowitz, instructor.

Committee May Dissolve

It is not clear whether the joint committee will remain in existence to consider further aspects of History curriculum. Hughes described junior generals as "the most urgent question facing us, demanding action this spring."

The HPC had recommended abolishing all generals as a long-range goal and turning non-credit sophomore tutorial into a half-credit course.