Upstairs at the Pudding, a gourmet restaurant in the building, originally served only club members but is now an independent business. The club occasionally holds functions there.

The Krokodiloes and the Pitches are also former occupants of the building, but they now hold rehearsals elsewhere.

The singing groups periodically perform at club functions. But club officers deny that members of these groups are automatically "punched" to join the club.

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III says the club's ties to the College are deep-seated. The College gave the theatrical society permission to use Harvard's name long ago, and Epps still considers the society and the club inextricably linked.

The club is the only social organization officially recognized by the College. Harvard severed all ties with the nine all-male final clubs about seven years ago, and kicked out the fraternities in the 1920s.

Epps says the Pudding is different from final clubs and fraternities because it doesn't discriminate on the basis of sex and it has a theatrical tradition.

Epps stresses this tradition, although the link between the club and the theatricals has diminished.

Epps says it is important for the different facets of student culture to be in balance on campus, but that college life is best when the artistic and intellectual parts dominate over the rest.

Epps points out that the club plays an important role in the cultural life of a campus which lacks a social center.

"It does provide a social life for a relatively small group of undergraduates," says Epps.

Epps also justifies College recognition of the club by noting that many student organizations on campus require potential members to undergo some sort of selection process.

According to Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57, the College has no rules which prohibit restricted membership unless exclusion is on the basis of race, religion, national origin or sex.

"Sheerly the fact that they are limited in membership doesn't mean [the College] should deny them recognition," says Jewett, who adds that the College shouldn't be too stringent when recognizing student groups.

Recognition of a student group does not necessarily imply endorsement by the College, he says.

But what separates the Pudding from other student organizations, of course, is that its selection process is not based on concrete merit.