Mercer Named Agent Of the Harvard Fund

Douglas Mercer '40 of Winthrop House and Brookline has been appointed permanent Class Agent for the Harvard Fund, it was announced last night by the Harvard Fund Council. The appointment was made on the recommendation of the Senior Class officers.

Mercer prepared at Belmont Hill School, has been an assistant to the football management, and is treasurer of the Student Council. He was also Student Councilor in charge of Freshman affairs.

The Harvard Fund is the Alumni Fund founded in 1925 and headed by Paul C. Cabot '21. Its purpose is to secure voluntary annual contributions from the alumni for the unrestricted use of the college and the Graduate Schools.

Largest Fund in Country

With 10,678 contributors in 1939 the Harvard Fund is the largest Alumni Fund in America. More than 22,000 individual alumni, two-thirds of the graduates of the college, have contributed to it a sum of over $1,800,000. For classes less than 25 years out of college a special stipulation of crediting compound interest toward the $100,000 gift for the twenty fifth reunion has been provided.

Following the 14-year-old policy of soliciting the Seniors before graduation, Mercer is asking for voluntary gifts. All previous Senior Classes have responded well, the Class of 1927 have already compiled one-half of their $100,000.

The Harvard Fund Council is composed of 30 elected and appointed alumni with the 64 Class Agents doing the actual campaigning. Most recently these include F. Stanton Deland, Jr. '36, Robert B. Watson '37, H. Shippen Goodhue '38 and Robert Bunker '39,. Distinguished Class Agents of the past include Bishop Lawrence '71, Judge Robert Grant '73, Charles C. Burlingham, New York attorney, and G. Peabody Gardner '10.