Group Analyzes Religion's Role in Undergraduate Life

Religion's place in undergraduate life is being studied by a special six-man committee, Provost Buck announced yesterday. Buck is heading the group, which will examine the status of Memorial Church, Phillips Brooks House, and religion courses in the College curriculum.

The committee has already held two fact-finding meetings but is not expected to consider policy-making suggestions for many weeks to come. A first concern of the group may be to increase the use of Memorial Church. For a period of years, certain faculty members have said that the church was not being used enough to merit the money spent on it.

The committee may also suggest more religions courses as a way of increasing the influence of religion in students' lives. Few limitations have been put on the group so that the results of its work cannot be predicted, a committee member said last night.

In addition to the Provest, men serving on the committee include Dean Bender, John H. Finley, Jr. '25, master of Eliot House, Elliott Perkins '23, master of Lowell House, Charles L. Taylor, dean of the Episcopal Theological School, and Ralph Lowell '12, a former overseer.

In its meetings to date, the committee has heard from Dean Sperry of the Divinity School and a representative of the United Ministry to Students, the Rev. Frederic B. Kellogg of Christ Church.

The group will meet in the future with representatives of Phillips Brooks House. In the past, persons have suggested that P.B.H. be patterned more after Dwight Hall at Yale, where the religious element is emphasized in the organization's activities.

Robert P. Hyde '51, president of P.B.H., declined comment on suggestions that might be made by the now committee.