Patterson, who was, until last year, editor of the Atlanta Constitution under the late Ralph McGill, has served as Vice Chairman of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission in addition to his journalistic work. He won the 1966 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.

Baker became dean of the Business School in 1962. Before that, he had a long career in the Harvard faculty, starting as a tutor in the history, government, and economics departments from 1928 through 1936. He was later James J. Hill Professor of Transportation and George Fisher Baker Professor of Administration.

McCree, a black, earned a law degree from Harvard in 1944 after graduating from Fisk University. He has been a trustee of Fisk and has received honorary degrees from Wayne State University and Tuskegee. He became a U.S. Circuit Judge three years ago.

Casner joined the Faculty of Law in 1938 and became associate dean of the school in 1961. When Erwin Griswold resigned as dean to become U.S. Solicitor General, Casner served as acting dean until the school appointed the present dean, Derek C. Bok.

Since receiving his M.D. from Harvard in 1919, Dr. Loeb has been elected to many international medical societies and has been a member of several governmental advisory boards. He was chairman of the medical board of review of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in 1947 and has been a member of the President's Science Advisory council.

For the 25th time since he became President in 1945, Harry S. Truman failed to receive an honorary degree from Harvard.