"The needs of the institution change, of course, and it's relatively rare...that a building remains for its stated single purpose, in perpetuity," Knowles adds.

Dingman says that given the College's present needs, renovating the Jordans is the only feasible solution.

"Whenever someone gives something with a stated purpose you want to honor that," Dingman says. "But we are really just too crowded in our regular housing options.

"Cambridge City ordinances also limit what Harvard can do with the buildings, making a smaller renovation easiest project.

Today, as the University is locked in zoning battles with the city over projects like the Knafel Center, a large-scale change involving taking down the old buildings seems unlikely. The University, after all, has no guarantee that it would gain permission to build anything in its place.

"The Jordans are definitely a potential asset," says Cabot House Master James H. Ware, "but it is unlikely that we could tear them down completely given the present state in Cambridge."

Last in the Pecking Order?

Dingman says that with the proper coaxing, FAS may be able to get renovating the Jordans on its schedule in the near future. "Perhaps we can consult broadly enough that we might be able to get the buildings on a list of projects for next summer," Dingman says. "But it's a question of how we can do all of these projects at once.

"Due to overcrowding, appearance and functionality, quad masters and Housing officials have their own reasons for putting the Jordans high on the list and are optimistic about the outcome.

"We are now engaging in a process with the Dean's planning personnel that we are confident will result in the best outcome for this House," the McCarthys write.

But some administrators are less optimistic. With the many other projects that the FAS has on its plate--including the Knafel Center, an addition to the Science Center and a Physical Sciences building--Harvard may not get around to the Jordans for a few years. "There are lots of multimillion dollar projects in the FAS," Knowles says. "I'm afraid I don't know exactly where the planning is on the Jordans at this point.

"No one seems to be quite sure when renovations might actually begin, but most estimates place them three to five years down the road.

"We will have to work hard to convince the College leadership that this is a priority," Ware says. "It has been between three and five years since we began the discussions about the renovations to the quad's driveway and that probably won't start until next summer."

And conflicting interpretations of the terms of the original gift and differing plans for the buildings will slow the process as well.

"We want to do this collaboratively," Dingman says. "It would be foolish for us to storm ahead and create something that nobody wants to call home."