Advertisement

Daniel Bell Might Accept Soc Rel Post at Harvard

Daniel Bell, a Columbia professor of Sociology, told the CRIMSON yesterday that he is considering teaching at Harvard, but denied that he has already accepted a post here, as reported in last Thursday's New York Times.

In an interview yesterday, Bell called the Times article "somewhat premature." He said that he has an invitation from the Social Relations department, but has not yet given a formal answer.

Bell, who was chairman of Columbia's Sociology department from 1959 to 1968, said that "Harvard allows for a freer movement back and forth between graduates and undergraduates."

The Times articles stated that Bell was attracted to Harvard by other scholars in Sociology like Seymour M. Lipset and Alex Inkeles. It added that last year's Columbia uprising was not an important factor in Bell's decision to come to Harvard.

Bell explained that the Soc Rel Department has not set a deadline for his reply. But Bell said that he expects to have an answer by the end of March.

Advertisement

The Times falsely reported that Bell would begin teaching at Harvard next fall. Bell said that even if he does come to Harvard, he will not begin teaching until 1970.

Bell, who is 49 years old, had been the labor editor of Fortune magazine before coming to Columbia. He told the Times that the classroom must be kept free from outside intrusion.

Bell is well known for his books The New American Right (1955), Work and its Discontents (1956), The End of Ideology (1960), and The Radical Right (1963). He is also a member of the editorial boards of Daedalus and The American Scholar.

Advertisement