Unfortunately for Dershowitz's proposal. Harvard has a policy of not conferring honorary degrees on people who can't show up in Cambridge personally to receive the honor--a fact cited by President Bok in a letter responding to the professor's request.
But Dershowitz has not given up hope. "Bok's attitude is a thing of the past," he says. Expressing hope for a mass movement of students and faculty, he says, "Bok doesn't seriously consider things unless he feels that not to do something would create more hassle than to do something."
Meanwhile, yet another outspoken faculty member, Professor of Biology Ruth Hubbard '45, is continuing her crusade to win the right to travel to Cuba.
But that effort was dealt a serious setback when the Supreme Court upheld the Reagan Administration's restrictions on personal travel to the country. Hubbard and two other women sued President Reagan in 1982 after the government prevented them from going on a fact-finding tour of Cuba. Hubbard says the group will try to get the High Court to overturn its decision.
B-School Subcontracting
When the union that represents Harvard's Food Service workers signed a contract with the University last summer after a one-day flash strike--one of the provisions they won was an agreement that Harvard not subcontract any of its work out to outside firms if any union employee laid off or take a cut in hours.
That provision was tested this summer when the Business School decided to hire the Marriott Corporation, a national food chain, to manage its dining halls. Officials called it an effort to bring the school's facilities up to restaurant standards.
But officials with the union, Local 26 of the Hotel, Restaurant, Institutional Employees and Bartenders Union, expressed fear that the switch may eventually enable Harvard to replace its workers with non-union employees.
For now there will be no change for the Food Service workers at the B-School, who will work for Marriott under the same contract they signed with Harvard. But Marriott has made no commitment for after the contract expires in 1986, and union officials say it will be a difficult struggle to negotiate a similar pact at that point.
In Transition
Harvard administrators have big plans to computerize the campus, and a man who will who have a lot of input into the project logged on this summer.
The University tapped Steven C. Hall, a 20-year veteran of the computer industry, to head its Office of Information Technology. As chief of the office that oversees Harvard's sprawling computer services, Hall is expected to play an major role in helping Harvard set up a network connecting computers around campus.
Those leaving Cambridge, on the other hand, will probably include Bromley Professor of Law Paul M. Bator. After spending the last 18 months as Deputy Solicitor General in the Justice Department, Bator was tapped by President Reagan for a federal appellate court judgeship.
If Congress approves the nomination as expected, Bator will resign his professorship this fall.
And Professor of Chinese and Central Asian History Joseph F. Fletcher '57, one of the world's leading specialists on inner Asia, died after a long battle with cancer.
Fletcher, who fought to continue teaching despite his illness, was known as an excellent instructor, and won the Levenson Teaching Prize from undergraduates in 1983. In January 1983, after an extended stay in the hospital, Fletcher returned to his class, Historical Study B-14, "Empire of the Mongols."
"One thing that happens when you face death, as I did and do, is you discover what your priorities are. It's important to have fun--lots of us forget that," he told his students at the time. "In facing my priorities," he said, "I realized I love teaching this course."