Harvard Faculty Commends Officers' Courage, Patience

On May 27 more than 150 Harvard professors gathered to pay a unique tribute to the University administration for its defense of academic freedom over the past year.

Initiated by the Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors, the ceremony expressed the appreciation of the administration's handling of four touchy cases of teachers who refused to answer questions before congressional committees.

It is known, however, that some faculty members were much more pleased with the resolution of the case of Wendell H. Furry, associate professor of Physics, than with the three others-Leon J. Kamin, research assistant in the Laboratory of Social Relations, Helene Deane Markham, assistant professor of Anatomy, and Daniel Fine, senior resident in Medicine.

Furry Retained

Though Furry was retained by the Corporation last May, the case could be put into question any day should McCarthy carry through his threat to cite him for contempt.

The alleged contempt occurred when Furry and Kamin dropped their Fifth Amendment shields on questions about themselves, but refused to talk about others in their appearance before the McCarthy Committee in January.

Though the other three are leaving the University next year, this is not the source of concern since none of them would have been in line for reappointment even if they had not been involved in the investigations.

While considered one of the "brightest young men" in the department, Kamin would not have been hired here since Social Relations prefers to get its instructors and assistant professors from outside. Since he got his Ph.D. in March he would not have been able to continue as a teaching fellow or research assistant and thus would have been compelled to look for work elsewhere. After some difficulty he has secured a position at another university.

Mrs. Markham this spring completed her 11th year as an assistant professor at the Medical School. This is the limit at this rank and she was not in line for promotion. Fine's was a one-year appointment and he was not seeking re-employment.

Faculty concern developed rather from communications to each by the administration. Both Markham and Fine received letters from George P. Berry, dean of the Medical School, declaring that "under the circumstances" they could never again expect appointment at Harvard.

Kamin was told by a member of the administration that his use of the Fifth Amendment would make any chance of his reappointment here unlikely. He has secured a job at another university for next year.

Not "Grave Misconduct"

The Corporation had earlier called both Furry's and Kamin's use of the Fifth amendment "misconduct" but not "grave misconduct" necessary for dismissal.

The apparent difference in the minds of university administrators between the firing of a tenured professor for citing the Fifth Amendment and the hiring or rehiring of a non-tenured man who has used the Amendment, worries many-faculty members. It now appears to be the main blot on an otherwise admirable record.