Conant Calls For Theatre Fellowships, Drama Center

President Conant in his annual report to the Overseers yesterday called for fellowships in the dramatic arts, radio and television, and--to institute institute the plan--a $2,000,000 endowment fund and a College theatre center.

"Harvard is the only great University without such a theatre," Conant states. "The faculty is anxious to encourage those many undergraduate organization that regularly produce plays; that efforts are now greatly hampered by the total lack of acceptable facilities."

Viewing the University's endowment status with alarm in the report, Conant pointed out that the University is relying to a large extent on government fund for research. "That a very large amount of taxpayers' money and temporary grants is now supporting research in the University there can be no question," he stated, and he warned that the "sudden withdrawal of United States government money would be disastrous to some fields but others would continue with little or no interruption."

Open to Talent

Particularly in the area of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Conant explained the University has been "conservative and cautious" in accepting short-term government contracts and outside grants. "Annual gifts and term grants from foundations we receive and welcome," he said, "but without capital funds for new buildings and without new endowment yielding a stable income, we cannot go forward with our work."

In regard to athletics, the report emphasizes the importance of the intramural program. "Slowly at first and then with frightening acceleration, intercollegiate athletics developed in the United States in the twentieth century," Conant maintained. "The status in 1952 needs no comment in view of all that has been written and said on the subject of foot ball and basketball in the last eight months."

Conant reiterated the policy advanced by the University, Yale, and Princeton last fall regarding admission and scholarship policies as they apply to athletes. The report stated that "no athletic scholarships or special subsidies of any sort for athletes are given by Harvard, Yale, or Princeton."

Intramural Program

"The successful intramural program to which I referred earlier is an example of the way in which we have attempted at Harvard to carry out the underlying philosophy set forth in this joint statement," he stated.

Although the program contributed toward making the entire athletic program run a net expense in 1950-51 of $350,000, Conant maintained that "the sum is not to be regarded as an athletic deficit but is as much a proper charge against the resources of the Faculty as the maintenance of a library or a laboratory." He also pointed out that the University has arranged "for the coming football seasons without regard to the gate receipts and provided for lighter schedules."

In regard to scholarships, adult education, and the professional schools, Conant made the following statements:

1. Scholarships--"Because of inflation, Harvard's scholarship funds are dangerously inadequate . . . our scholarship endowment funds have grown relatively little . . . in short it is essential that we maintain and if possible increase our present level of scholarship assistance. This is of first importance for the quality of the future Harvard student body and for Harvard's role as a democratic national educational institution open to talent wherever found." Conant, quoting from a statement by Dean Bender, who next term will be Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, said "loans and student employment will be still further expanded, but there are limits to the amount of employment and debt which an undergraduate can assume."

Educational Impact

2. Adult education--Referring to such programs as the Nieman Fellowships in Journalism, Trade Union Fellowships. Advanced Management Program, he said that "through such channels Harvard each year makes its most immediate educational impact on the life of the nation." "One aspect of the Summer School seems at first sight to offer a parallel of long standing. I refer to the work of the Graduate School of Education, which through its summer courses contributes to the further education of school teachers and school administrators."

The Summer School, he reported, "is flourishing as never before . . . last summer an entirely new features was the Foreign Students Project, which proved so successful that it is being made a permanent feature."

3. Professional schools--"Two new buildings made possible by the successful effort of two years ago are under construction in the Business School. A new laboratory for applied science, to be known as the Gordon McKay Laboratory, is being built on Oxford Street. . . . With the completion of this (the latter) building we shall be able to increase our staff in several areas of engineering . . . it is our desire to train engineers and applied scientists of the highest caliber. For this reason, five special Gorden McKay fellowships for graduate study with a stipend of $2,000 each have been created to attract top-ranking students to Harvard.