Members Now Holding Referendum On Dress

Though not as controversial as some other issues which have divided the Faculty in recent years, the coat-and-tie rule at the Faculty Club faces an aggressive challenge.

The management of the Faculty Club has been conducting a referendum on whether to retain the rule. "Though it's too early to predict a trend, it's been running 65-35 in favor of the rule," said Charles Coulson, manager of the Faculty Club.

The Faculty Club has mailed a "ballot" to all its members with their bills, and hopes to have the issue decided within the month, Coulson added.

'Damned Disgrace'

George Wald, Higgins Professor of Biology, explained the history behind the protest. "I thought their sign was insulting-a damned disgrace, in fact-that they should be telling Faculty members how to dress. A year ago or more I wrote a letter about it, but was told that the House Committee of the Faculty Club had voted to retain the rule."

"Then Mark Ptashne, [lecturer on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology], raised the issue in the Faculty Council. He brought it to the attention of the House Committee again, and now they're polling the membership."

"The rule is ridiculous, embarrassing, anachronistic, and stuffy...have I said enough?...It's the business of the Faculty members to decide how to dress. All of us have been in the awkward position of bringing a guest who isn't wearing a coat-and-tie to the Club. How about a sweater instead? And what about the ladies? Are we going to start telling them what to wear too?"

A representative female opinion came from Caroline W. Bynum, assistant professor of History. "I signed the poll partly as a joke. I have strong opinions on other subjects, but I really don't have a strong opinion on what men wear, and clearly that rule wasn't meant for us."

'Riff-Raff'

The anonymity of the Faculty Club lobby where the poll has been conducted brought forth a variety of uninhibited comments on both sides. Remarks ranged from, "Keep out the riff-raff-why should we look like the rest of Harvard Square?" and "an infringement of academic freedom, but let us retain trousers" to "Coats hide bombs" and "Shouldn't Harvard, above all, tolerate and encourage individuality?" [To this last an opponent had added-"Individuality? yes, in the color of ties."]

Other Faculty members remained more straight-forward in their arguments. "It's an inane rule and I hope it will be abolished," said Anthony G. Oettinger, Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Mathematics.

"I'm for retaining the rule," said Richard T. Gill, lecturer on Economics, "though I'm not really one to testify as I only go to the Faculty Club on special occasions."

Two years ago the Houses stopped requiring coats and ties in the dining rooms. Said John Marquand, senior tutor in Dudley House, "Before they got rid of coats and ties in the Houses I threatened to wear a sweatsuit to dinner in order to test the rule. I'm glad the Faculty Club is challenging it-or I might have had to threaten the same thing again."