What's in a name?

If it's Harvard, about one million dollars per year. That's how much money some experts predict the University will make in royalties from its new licensing program.

Since Harvard's decision last fall to trademark its name, more than 80 manufacturers have agreed to pay Harvard 7.5 percent of net sales of insignia products and to obtain the approval of the University before marketing new items.

As one of the last major universities to jump on the licensing bandwagon, Harvard can now cash in on its prestigious name--something that merchants and their suppliers have been doing for some time now. "The selling of the name," as some derisively call it, is a multi-million dollar enterprise that involves manufacturers as distant from Harvard Yard as Spokane, Wash., merchants as close as Mass. Ave. and consumers from all parts of the world.

According to Sylvia H. Struss, trademark administrator at Harvard, the University is following many other schools which, in the past 10 years, have licensed their names to protect their image by forcing manufacturers to register their designs and to raise additional money for the school.

A Shirt By Any Other Name

Manufacturers of insignia-wear will not say how many Harvard sweatshirts, t-shirts and key chains they sell, but they all admit that merchandise bearing the Harvard name is extremely popular nationwide.

"Any which way you put Harvard on the shirt it sells--period," says Dmitri S. Tragos, manager of J. August Co.

"Certain schools will carry a charismatic charm," says Jim Rissing, vice-president of sales for Champion Products. "UCLA, Harvard, Yale have that certain charm. There are certain schools that will transcend any regional boundaries."

"The key is the national perception," Rissing says. "If I sold Dartmouth in Atlanta, it wouldn't do as well as Harvard or Yale."

Although retailers say that simple designs still sell the best, the influx of smaller companies competing with traditional heavyweights such as Champion and Russell has led to an increase in the number of different styles available.

"We're seeing a lot more non-traditional designs," says Dickie D. Zan Meter, who is in charge of licensing for Galt-Sands Co. "There's also more untraditional use of colors. At first there was resistance by some schools, but they sold very successfully."

Paul R. Corcoran '54, owner of The Harvard Shop, says that he has often been surprised by what sells well and what does not.

"Six years ago the salesman showed me [the "coed naked lacrosse t-shirts."] I didn't think they would go over. I thought they were too corny. I bought 50. They lasted two hours."

New competitors have also tried to complete by carving out their own market in the insignia business. Galt-Sands, for example, eschews the more common retailing route of college bookstores in favor of upscale department stores.