Since Harvard's dispute with ROTC comes down to the ban on gays, Clinton's election--and an elimination of the ban--would seem to settle the controversy. It may even open the gates for the program's physical return to campus.

Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 says he thinks ROTC will remain off campus regardless of the presidential election, due to lack of space and lack of widespread interest.

"My own guess would be that the military would be unlikely to Balkanize and have chapters at all the schools," Jewett says.

Cuts in military spending may also make ROTC less likely to open another chapter, Jewett says.

Still, the ban's elimination might pave a new path for the program, and would certainly eliminate most opposition to it.

A presidential election is difficult to predict. Rather than wait, ROTC committee members say they will press forward with a recommendation to the Faculty.

That recommendation--and the Faculty's decision--is already months late. In 1990, the Faculty Council set an ultimatum: if the ban was not removed by May 1992, Harvard would sever all ties. Period.

But when Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles assumed office last year, he declared the ultimatum invalid and appointed a committee to study the issue.

Committee members hoped to present a report at the end of last year, but appealed for more time in the spring.

Pforzheimer University Professor Sidney Verba '53, who chairs the committee, says he hopes to present a recommendation well before the election.

"We really are aiming for the beginning of the fall," he says, estimating that a report will be completed in late September or early October.

"If we think we have a set of recommendations that makes sense, there's no reason to wait on those," Meltzer says, especially since the Democrats are not certain to adhere to a campaign pledge.

Committee members are drifting back into town, and Verba says he will soon call a meeting. The Harvard faculty, it seems, is eager to have its say in the issue. Ultimately, though, that say may be less than significant.

Joe Mathews contributed to the reporting of this article.