In his book, Rosenblatt argues that the bust afforded the local police the opportunity to take out on the students long-standing aggressions against Harvard.

"The simmering feelings of the local police about Harvard should have been taken into account," Rosenblatt says.

Members of the Class of 1972 also denounced Pusey's decision and the resultant violent actions of the police.

"I thought it was horrific, and it ruined the rest of his presidency," Slavin says.

Vickie A. Charlton '72, the first female stage manager of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, says of the police, "They sort of looked like gladiators."

Not all 1972 graduates completely fault Pusey, however.

"I think at the time I probably approved of calling in the police," says Gorman, who also adds he believed the police used excessive force.

Beyond the details of April 1969, Rosenblatt says he felt the takeover, bust and ensuing University-wide havoc left an indelible mark on the University.

"I was amazed 30 years later at how impassioned and how bitter the feelings of some of the Faculty were," he says. "For another 20 years, at least, this is going to rank as the major cataclysm in Harvard history."

Arthur S. Brisbane '72, now editor of the Kansas City Star, agrees, saying the takeover had a definite impact on Harvard students.

"It certainly set the tone for my years at Harvard," he says. "The tone while I was here was damn near chaos."

"The effect of that was to kind of move people off track into non-academic interests," says Brisbane, who spent much of his time playing in rock bands.

Gorman has a different perspective, seeing life as being relatively normal after the debacle.

"People were far more interested in education than politics," he says.

For Rosenblatt at least, the spring of 1969 was a pivotal time in his life. "It was a moment of total change," he says.