The agreement to avoid a public trial came as a growing number of news organizations, including CBS News, moved towards covering the suit.

Last year, several members of the club said the lawsuit and the club's closure were directly related.

The Pi Eta Society, founded in 1866, began as a literary and theatrical organization similar to the Hasty Pudding. In the 1970s, the Pi merged with the Speaker's Club to form the present organization.

The Massachusetts secretary of state' office lists the Pi Eta Speaker's Associates as a corporation founded in 1895. For most of its history, the Pi was headquartered on Kirkland Street at the present location of Grendel's Den restaurant and bar.

The club later moved to 45 Mt. Auburn St., a building it still owns. It rentsapartments at the top of the building.

Harvard broke ties with the Pi Eta and thefinal clubs in 1984, when the organizationsrefused to admit women.

Jeremiah J. Bresnahan '57, who is listed withthe state as the Pi Eta's clerk, refused tocomment last week on the club's future