Gulf actively supports the last major colonial empire in several ways: economically, through large payments to the Portuguese colonialists: politically, by providing a means of production (Gulf's oil discovery constitutes an incentive for continued Portuguese rule): militarily through contractual defense clauses and the strategic nature of oil. MPLA is opposed to all forms of external control of the Angolan people, and has publicly stated that it considers Gulf to be a major Portuguese ally and that it supports the American campaign pressing Gulf to withdraw from Angola.

Harvard has acquired about 683,000 (0.3 per cent of outstanding shares) of Gulf Oil Company stock over the last 25 years, largely as gifts and principally from the Mellon family. The present market value of Harvard's holdings is about $18.5 million. In refusing to divest itself of this blatant tie to Gulf, Harvard thus has chosen to support Gulf's continued involvement in Angola. The position of the Harvard Corporation is thoroughly supportive to the distorted rationalization that Gulf issues to justify its involvement in Angola. Harvard intends to help bring about Gulf's further entrenchment in Angola through what Harvard and Gulf term as social reforms. The Harvard Corporation has said that they will ask Gulf to be more "socially responsible" in its exploitation of Angolan minerals and people and in its economic, political, and military support of the Portuguese colonialists. The Corporation has thus denied the fact that the presence of Cabinda Gulf Oil is directly opposed to the aspirations of the Angolese, and has shown its intent to work for Gulf's continued involvement, against the wishes of the Angolese and the growing climate of American public censure of Gulf Oil Company.

The activities of the Pan-African Liberation Committee against Harvard's involvement in Gulf Oil.

June 1971

The Pan-African Liberation Committee was officially organized.

August 1971

PALC approached Harvard University with a document which they prepared, entitled "Repression in Southern Africa: an Indictment of Harvard University", which contains a studied report of Harvard's investment in companies which play an active financial role in providing money for Portugal's war budget, used against freedom fighters in Angola and Mozambique. Harvard told PALC to come back in September.

September 17, 1971

PALC met with President Bok and requested a divestiture of Gulf stock along with (1) a public statement of the reason for this divestiture, (2) an appeal for other stockholders to do the same, and (3) a statement of Harvard's intent to follow through in the same manner with similar cases. Bok informed PALC that their requests were a low priority issue. PALC decided to mobilize more people around this issue.

September 17-February 24

PALC began a campaign to expose the issue of Harvard's investment policies to more people, and began to solicit support from the national and international Black community.

January 1972

"Repression in Southern Africa: an Indictment of Harvard University" was printed in the Black Scholar.

February 24, 1972

(1) Press conference held by PALC and Afro in the Cambridge Community Center, (2) PALC and Afro attempted to enter Massachusetts Hall to confront Bok, and a "mill-in" was staged in University Hall, (3) as a result, a meeting was arranged for the evening of February 24 between Bok, other officers of the University, PALC, and Afro. Bok stated that the University would study the issue more thoroughly.