'54 College Fund Gifts Top Record By Over $100,000

The Harvard Fund has jumped more than $100,000 ahead of its record 1953 pace, David T. W. McCord '21, Fund director, announced yesterday.

"It's a tribute to President Pusey that 600 more alumni have contributed than at this time last year," said McCord. "All indications point to our reaching 17,000 contributions by our Dec. 31 deadline and this should insure our receiving at least $600,000, easily topping last year's record," he added.

Fund Has Given $7,000,000

Princeton and Yale claim to have a greater percentage of alumni donating to their Funds. "But it's unfair," McCord explained, "to compare us to them, because our Fund, since 1948, has only been for the unrestricted use of the College. Yale and Princeton, on the other hand, include in their totals gifts to their graduate schools."

Since its founding in 1925, the Fund has provided the University with over $7,000,000. A large part of this total was spent in the construction of Lamont Library.

Alumni Enthusiastic

McCord expressed particular satisfaction at the alumni's enthusiasm. "You can get some idea of the increase in interest in this project when you realize that in 1953 we raised $537,790 and our present total is $503,655, with two months to go," he said.

The average gift this year has been $37, while last year's final total showed 16,000 alumni giving an average of about $34 apiece.

The Harvard Fund consists only of unrestricted gifts to the College. All restricted gifts, and unrestricted gifts to the graduate schools are not included in it.