Spencer Fund Proposed for Drama Talks

The drama will soon have its first official backing at Harvard since Professor George Pierce Baker left the College to teach at Yale in 1925. A Committee of faculty members formed last night will begin to raise money next week for the Theodore Spencer Memorial Fund, whose purpose is to endow a lectureship on the drama.

The first income to the fund will come from an opening night benefit performance of the Harvard Theater Workshop's production of the "The Tempest," in Brattle Hall.

The HTW has postponed the opening one night from Wednesday, May 4 to Thursday, May 5. The run of the play has been scheduled so that it will now last three weeks until Wednesday, May 21.

Reverend Frederick B. Kellog, Chaplain to the Episcopal students and rector of Christ Church, has been named chairman of the committee. He will be aided by Mrs. Elizabeth Williams Miller, who will act as secretary, Professor F. O. Matthiessen, I. A. Richards, Harry T. Levin '33, Perry Miller, and Phillip H. Rhinelander, teaching follow in Philosophy and General Education.

The proposed fund will endow occasional lectures to Harvard audiences by authorities on the theater. During his lifetime, Spencer, the late Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory, invited such personages of Granville Barker and John Gielgud into his class room.

"Peculiarly Fitting" Memorial

"It is felt," said the committee's statement, "that to make permanent provision for such appearances would be a peculiarly fitting way of perpetuating his memory."

Albert Marre 1G, director of "The Tempest" stated last night that "The Harvard Theater Workshop is privileged to help inaugurate the drama lectureship fund drive in Professor Spencer's memory. His never-failing kindness, encouragement, and advice to us makes us appreciate all the more this opportunity to make our opening to some extent, a memorial."

Tickets, for the benefit performance only, will be proceed from $2.40 to $4.80. They are now on sale at the Harvard Cooperative Society and the Brattle Hall box office. Any other donations to the fund may be sent to the Theodore Spencer's Memorial Fund, 24 Milk Street, Boston. Checks should be made payable to Harvard University.