"People don't want to say it's a competition, but of course it is," says Rosemary Resnik, a Radcliffe associate for classes and reunions. "We've both done much better with these recent classes because [Harvard] can solicit how they want and we can solicit how we want."

Despite the subsidies for major reunions, alumni pay most of the costs. For a family attending the entire 25th reunion and living in Harvard housing this year, the cost is $880.

"I remember during my 25th thinking that the cost of my reunion and flight from England [where I was living] amounted to my tuition during my first year at Harvard," says Jean Leventhal '63, who is now chair of her 30th reunion.

Because the cost is prohibitive for some, many reunions offer financial aid to help classmates who need it to make the trip.

"We have made it clear on a confidential basis, anyone can write to a person in the alumni office and we'll draw the money from the class treasury without knowing who it is," says Robert H. Hoskins '43, reunion committee secretary.

With so many arrangements to be made in such a short time, budgeting for reunions can be frantic, too. Diane Jellis, who organizes the non-major reunions, says she often has to pay costs and later bill the classes to recover the money.

"Everything I do I have to bill back out, I have to recover," says Jellis. "My budget is usually a mess. I'm already 107 percent over budget."

Still, the non-major reunions tend to be more relaxed, less structured events with fewer costs and activities. Victor C. Harnish '28, reunion chair for the 65th, says his class will have some activities tomorrow that cost about $3,000. Contributions will help cover expenses, he says.

The non-majors take more organization on the part of individual class members, as University officials have fewer resources to devote to making their arrangements. But unlike the budget-balancing major reunions, many non-majors have to make a small profit. That is by design, their organizers say, because each class needs money in its treasury to cover startup costs for the next reunion, which is only five years away.

"On the 45th reunion, we made a profit on the class report, but we lost money on the reunion," says Hoskins. "We made a little money overall."

The class reports are more than cash cows. Ann E. McCoubrey, class report editor, and other class report officials say they're interested most of all in promoting interest in Harvard. If that, in turn, promotes donations, so be it.

"Don't put it down to just money," says Mary G. Lynch, a staff assistant in the office. "It's also a good feeling and good fellowship--just keeping in touch."

But the reports do have a financial role. The class report for the majors are partly subsidized by Harvard, which also asks alumni to contribute for the books. The cost of the 25th report, the largest book with the most pictures, is roughly $110,000.

Budget cuts have hit the Class Report Office, and McCoubrey says, "It's difficult to operate in our crunch time with the staff we have available."

There are other pressing concerns. McCoubrey says her office regularly consults with the general counsel's office when legal questions arise over what is printable. Yale, she notes, was sued earlier this year for something it published in a class report.