Author and social satirist Dick Gregory has agreed to be this year's 1975 Class Day speaker on Wednesday afternoon. The senior class almost had to settle for John Kenneth Galbraith, retiring Warburg Professor of Economics, because as late as last Thursday, the Class Day Committee had not landed a speaker to replaces Muhammad Ali.

The committee invited Ali in May and he accepted, but when his manager reminded the heavyweight champion that they would have to be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by today to begin training for his next defense of his title, Ali had to back committee.

Shock and Disney

The committee, shocked and more than a little dismayed, then called an emergency meeting June 2 to find a speaker from the list of names, the seniors had voted favorites committee member Peter S. Carfagna '75 explained yesterday.

They had already tried Bill Cosby and Mel Brooks--the first and second choices--and after Ali on the list came journalist Hunter S. Thompson and Washington Post publisher Kathryn Graham.

Neither Thompson not Graham could arrange to be in Cambridge on such short notice, go the committee made up a subsidiary list of names, including Howard Cosell, Art Buchwaid, Walter Cronkite, Garry Trudeau and Gregory.

The next day, the committee tried to contact all the people on the new list. Cosell wavered for the next day, but on Wednesday a New England talent agent called the committee with a list of speakers--including Gregory--he could get to come "on a moment's notice."

When contacted, Gregory said he would he glad to come and would waive his usual speaking fee. He has also agreed to speak at the Varsity Letterwinners' dinner Wednesday night, Carfagna said.

Gregory will address the seniors in Tercentenary Theatre on the subject of "Social Problems: Social or Anti-Social?" The other scheduled speaker is Galbraith who will talk about his impressions of the changes that have struck Harvard in the past 40 years.