In other news, Stuart A. Pizer '66, aninstructor in psychology in the Department ofPsychiatry at the Medical School, said in a letterto The Crimson he would renounce "all promises andexpectations of financial contributions toHarvard" as a results of FAS's decision on Grant.

"I am now appalled at the appearance ofheartless and punitive rigidity in Harvard'schoice to rescind Ms. Grant's admission," Pizerwrote in the letter, received yesterday afternoon.

Pizer explained in an interview yesterday thathe was not rescinding any pledge that he hadalready made, but merely "future contributionsthat I had expected to give."

"Unfortunately, I'm not a large enoughcontributor that it is going to hurt Harvardenough financially," said Pizer, who added that hecurrently donates "about $100 per year."

In the interview, Pizer pointed to reports thatGrant had been emotionally abused by her motherand her otherwise unblemished records as reasonswhy he disagreed with the University's decision.

"There is no reason to believe that a personwho did violence to a member of their family, atleast in a case where it is implied that there isemotional violence going on--it was an incidentclearly that was horrific," Pizer said. "At thesame time, there is nothing that would indicate apattern in this person's life."

In response to Pizer's announcement, Carnesalesaid that he is not concerned that many alumniwill make similar pronouncements.

"I think that alumni, by and large, as thinkingpeople, would say, "Gee, this is a tough positionfor...the University to be in,' but I cannotimagine that there would be any significant numberof people who would think that we behaved anythingother than judiciously," Carnesale said.

"And notice," the provost added, "that one whodisagrees with the decision at this point is doingso in the absence of even the information that wasavailable to the committee."

Pizer is a psychologist and psychoanalyst whosaid yesterday that he has worked with people whohave been victims of family violence and parentalemotional abuse.

In addition to a bachelor's degree, he earnedat Ph.D. from the University in 1972.

Sarah J. Schaffer contributed to thereporting of this story.