The Crimson Key, the organization in charge of hospitality and tours for visitors to Harvard, elected its first woman president Wednesday night.

Katherine Kleeman '74 took office today after outpolling two men in the 60-member organization's election. Jay Cutting '73, the outgoing Crimson Key president. said he thought there "was probably some opposition to Kleeman because she is a woman, but that she was "elected because of her own merits."

No Big Step

"I'd like to think that it doesn't make any difference that I'm a woman," Kleeman said last night. "I don't see it as any big step."

The Crimson Key was an all-male organization until 1968, when it merged with Shield, its Radcliffe counterpart.

Kleeman has been a member of The Crimson Key since her freshman year. "I thought it was neat to do tours," she said. "I enjoyed showing the place off. I like to be objective and show people both the good and the bad facets of Harvard."

Admissions Reports

Kleeman said the bulk of The Crimson Key's work is showing applicants around and housing them if they have nowhere to stay. She said that if a Crimson Key member has a strong positive or negative opinion of an applicant he can write a report on the applicant for the admissions office's files.

Kleeman is currently coordinator for the Washington, D.C., Delaware and Maryland operations of the Undergraduate Admissions Council, a group tied closely to The Crimson Key.

The Crimson Key also does tours for the Information Office and the Marshall's office, as well as planning a mixer and a picnic for Freshman Week each year.