Brown Herald 'Hoax' Says Wriston Wants House Plan

The retiring board of the Brown "Daily Herald" last week moved the publishing date of its annual April Fool's edition to Jan. 15 and announced that President Henry Wriston will replace Brown University's fraternity system with a house plan similar to Harvard's.

In a front page story the Herald reporter said that Wriston was changing the system because "the fraternities were anti-intellectual and undemocratic" while Harvard's houses provide "far greater opportunity for intellectual stimulation."

The article quoted Wriston as stating that the new plan would not adopt Harvard's tutorial system because "the cost factor would be prohibitive at least for the next three years."

The paper's editorial opposed Wriston's plan stating that "Harvard is a fine college . . . but Brown should not want to become another Harvard. There may be some elements of anti-intellectualism or snobbishness in the Fraternities but these are rapidly disappearing, and a man can establish almost any kind of social life he desires."

Later in a message at chapel Dean Walker exposed the story as a hoax, but added that officials were considering a special course for "Herald" reporters, "to teach them how to read the calendar and tell the difference between Jan. 15 and April 1."