Amherst College's decision last weekend to admit women--beginning with a male-to-female ratio closer to equality than Harvard's--puts Harvard to shame.
President Bok's reaction to Amherst's announcement would be funnier if easy-going acceptance of sexual discrimination didn't have such serious consequences. "Harvard's progress toward merger or toward equality" can't be measured by Harvard's sex ratio, Bok said, without attempting to suggest a more appropriate measure.
Then he suggested that only the Strauch Committee's report, due in February, could say what was clear long before the president of Amherst, John W. Ward '45, made the observation Sunday afternoon: "Both Harvard and Radcliffe are moving too slow in equalizing their sex ratio."
Bok's praise for Amherst's move toward equality for women--he said it was "very fine and should be applauded"--rings a little hollow while Harvard continues to admit more men than women. Instead of applauding Amherst, Harvard should follow its lead by instituting one-to-one admissions.
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