In fact, some professors teaching at Harvard at the time said a stronger concern for high grades, due to increasingly competitive professional school admissions, pushed undergraduate averages higher.

"It was about that time that medical school and law school admissions became more competitive," said Arnold Professor of Science William H. Bossert '59. Before 1965, he said, admission to medical school was virtually guaranteed.

Wilkinson agrees with Bossert and said he remembers one student who reproached him over a low grade in a history class at the time.

"The student said, "I may not be a great historian, but I'm going to be a damn fine doctor, and I resent your keeping me out of medical school," Wilkinson said.

Some professors, however, while asserting Mansfield's original comment over-emphasized the role of race in grade inflation, said that race could have influenced individual professors' grading decisions in certain cases.

"I would suspect it did make a difference to some individuals, along with a number of other considerations," said McLean Professor of Ancient and Modern History Emeritus Franklin L. Ford, who was dean of the Faculty until 1968.

But many alumni blasted Mansfield, calling his formulation of the link between race and grades racist.

Lee A. Daniels '71, an Institute of Politics fellow and reporter for the New York Times, said Mansfield was using an old argument to hurt Blacks.

"The attack against Reconstruction was predicated on the assertion that Northern whites were hurting whites to help Blacks," Daniels said. "Harvey hasn't raised a question of whether football players' grades were inflated. This was nothing but an attack against Black students."

Harold A. McDougall '67, a professor at the law school at Catholic University, called Mansfield's comments "unprincipled and irresponsible."

"He's taking a slam at some people who aren't still around to defend themselves," McDougall said.

And Lewis P. Jones III '74, an officer at Chemical Bank, said Mansfield's comments represent an attack on the right of Blacks to be at Harvard.

"There's always some neo-conservative revisionist running around trying to undermine the presence of people of color," Jones said.

Black College graduates interviewed also disputed Mansfield's suggestion that Harvard professors and instructors readily welcomed them during this time. Many said they encountered racist professors and teaching fellows during their time here.

A'Lelia Bundles '74, an ABC News producer in Washington, said her expository writing teacher-"who was limited"-accused her of plagiarism after she wrote an exceptional paper.