Teaching Fellow Runs for State Post

A teaching fellow in Government has ignored the warnings of professional politicians in his campaign for the State Assembly, by putting his Harvard education at the top of his list of qualifications.

The candidate, Alexander Cella '51, maintained, "Voters in my district think a Harvard education is a political asset." Cella, who delivers 20 per cent of the lectures in Government 140, State, admitted that there are those who think an egghead has no place in practical politics. But, he argues, an understanding of the theory of politics, as well as the reality, is the perfect combination.

Up to now, the Cella technique has been successful. He ran third in a field of 12 in the Democratic primaries, Sept. 18.

Cella comes from a district in Medford which is largely Italian and Irish and traditionally votes Democratic. Since there are three vacant assembly seats in Medford and only three Democrats among the seven candidates, Cella's chances look good.

In Government 140, Cella lectures on topics such as "Some Experiences of a Campaigner" and "Politics in the Bay State." When not lecturing, Cella works on his Ph.D. thesis--the effect of the Executive and Congressional branches of government on air force policy.

If elected, Cella would postpone, at least temporarily, his doctorate and would resign from the faculty. He refused to discuss any ambitions beyond the State Assembly, calling them "premature."

Government Major

The salary of an assemblyman would be more than triple what Cella now earns as a teaching fellow. The recent pay raise for teaching fellows did not affect the unmarried Cella, even though he supports his mother, brother, and sister.

While an undergraduate, Cella majored in government and was active in the Young Democratic Club. His present affiliations include the Harvard Law School Democrats and the Medford Volunteers for Stevenson, which he helped organize.

Cella's campaign, as he described it, is now getting ready for the "big push." The final days will be spent in an intensive series of house parties, talks to women's groups, and door-to-door handshaking.