Corporation Decides on Observatory Revisions

Following a highly critical report by President Conant's special committee, the Corporation has voted $300,000 for a large-scale revamping of the University's Oak Ridge Observatory and has ordered liquidation of legal and financial obligations at the Boyden Observatory in South Africa.

The committee, headed by J. Robert Oppenheimer and including leading American astronomers, felt the observatory had overextended its facilities and expenditures. The Corporation agreed that making all the necessary improvements would be too expensive.

In accordance with the Corporation's decision. Provost Buck recently sent memoranda to acting director of the observatories Donald H. Menzel and members of the Observatory Council.

As early as possible, according to the Provost's message, Harvard should liquidate its South African holdings unless a cooperative agreement can be made with other institutions. Another plan proposed by Buck was the transfer of the Boyden Observatory to a group financially equipped to carry on its work.

In any event, the Provost stated, action must be taken this spring.

"It is neither possible nor desirable to liquidate by the end of this fiscal year," Buck admitted. For this reason, the Corporation has set up a holding fund, sufficient to handle existing financial obligations.

The Provost emphasized the need for a major observation station in the southern hemisphere. He expressed the hope that the University could find another group to take over the Boyden facilities and develop them.

Despite these changes, Buck strongly restated the University's intention to maintain a vigorous program in astronomy within its means.

For many years, will last spring, the director of the Observatory was Harlow Shapley, Paino Professor of Practical Astronomy.