Prescott Street Apartments To House Excess Students

Approximately 200 College students will move to apartment buildings behind the Union next year in the University's largest attempt to relieve critical overcrowding in the Houses and Yard.

President Pusey has informed all tenants in Nos. 2, 10, and 12 Prescott St., now owned by the University, that their leases will end June 30, 1956.

"This is not at present making provision for any further enlargement of the College, but is simply dealing with the numbers we now have," the President stated in personal letters to the tenants during the summer.

The four-story brick buildings, built in the Gold Coast era, now contain 28 large suites complete with kitchens and fire places. Although studies have been made on possible conversian of the suites, plans are not yet available. Nos. 10 and 12 Prescott St. comprise the same building and would house approximately two-thirds of the students placed in the new quarters.

The administration is not yet prepared to announce whether freshmen, upperclassmen, or both will comprise the approximately 200 who will live in the apartments, according to Edward Reynolds, Administrative Vice-President.

William Bentinck-Smith '37, Assistant to the President, explained that Pusey had sent personal letters to the tenants because "they were good neighbors, many of them members of the faculty." He continued: "We wanted to give them plenty of time to know about this, rather than sending merely a formal notice of eviction."

Pusey's letter stated, "The serious postwar crowding of the College dormitories has reached the point where some rearrangements must now be made if we are to maintain the character and quality of the educational experience of our students."

Inconvenience for Residents

"Since I know full well the inconvenience and difficulty you will be caused by having to find new quarters," the President added. "I did not want you to receive this notice without having from me in advance an expression of real regret for the necessity of this action."

Some of the present residents have lived on Prescott St. for as many at 40 years. One tenant of 24 years declared. "I hope the students love this building as much as we do."

Bentinck-Smith said last night that the student exodus to Prescott St. "is by no means a permanent solution."

If students now living in Claverly, Apley, the Business School and one house on Prescott St. continue to live there, a total of more than 350 undergraduates will be housed in annexes to the House system.