And if that support is not forthcoming, theissue dies a quiet death in conference calls,meaning few spectacular failures for Harvard onCapitol Hill.

Lobbying Problems

Washington insiders say that Harvard's"intellectual authority" does not go unrecognizedon the Hill.

Massachusetts Hall often fields calls fromrepresentatives or staff members looking forHarvard's opinion on a particular subject. Facultymembers have long shuttled between government andacademia and are frequently sought out as expertson a number of subjects.

In fact, representatives from across thecountry say this means Harvard's opinion almostalways gets a hearing--but a hearing only.

"Harvard automatically [is recognized] as areliable and insightful source of information,"says James Wilcox, press secretary for Rep. BillArcher (R-Texas). "But, all things being equal,the constituents take top priority."

For representatives like Archer, it seems thatHarvard's name gets lobbyists in the door, butonce inside it is local presence, not nationalprestige, that moves representatives to action.

During the Riggs Amendment debate, Rudenstinesent letters and made phone calls to theMassachusetts delegation in the House--"burningup the phone lines" in the words of one opponent.

And lobbyists say Rudenstine's strategy wasright: political influence begins at home.

"We tend to work within our delegation and ouralumni," says Nan Nixon, Harvard's full-timeWashington lobbyist. "For the reason that allpolitics is local."

But among the Bay State's representatives onCapitol Hill, Harvard's voice is only one among achorus of voices, and all are careful to say thatthey give Rudenstine and company no specialtreatment.

"In all candor, while we pay close attention towhat Harvard says, there are so many institutionsto hear from, it's hard to say that one has moreweight than the others," says David B. Williams,chief of staff for Rep. John F. Tierney (D-Salem).

Jim Manley, press secretary for Sen. Edward M.Kennedy '54-'56 (D-Mass.), agreed, saying thatwhile Kennedy worked closely with his alma mater,in the end he gave Harvard's lobbying the sameweight as that of other area schools.

Harvard alumni like Kennedy are still veryactive in government--several dozen graduates sitin the House, and another significant portion inthe Senate--and these connections are also used byHarvard lobbyists.

"Often the phone calls [to Congressionalalumni] will be returned," Nixon says. "It's as ifwe had a larger [state] delegation."