Faculty Ends Discussion of Council Study

Student Council President Larry R. Johnson '58 disclosed yesterday that the Committee on Educational Policy had refused to place into effect the three recommendations of the Student Council Report "Religion at Harvard," and had discontinued discussion of the report.

Johnson said that he learned of the Committee's action from Dean Bundy who is now in Detroit and unavailable for comment. Johnson declared that he approved of the committee's action since he was opposed to the recommendations but that he hoped that "the Committee will not violate the spirit of the report."

The three recommendations of the report were: the formation of a Board of Religious Associates; the establishment of a Committee on Religion to make possible undergraduate concentration in religion; and that Divinity School Faculty members live in the Houses.

Published in 1956

Publication of the report in 1956 was subsidized by the University which lent the Council the needed money in return for about a thousand copies of the report. Indicative of Administration support for the Report was Dean Leighton's Report of 1955-56.... "The report...presents a current undergraduate thinking on the place which is given and should be given to religious history and thought in the liberal arts college."

Richard Bushman '58, Chairman of the Committee which wrote the report last night commented, "The specific recommendations are of secondary importance. The major concern should be to present religious thoughts more fully at Harvard. I would be disappointed if the Committee rejected the main premises underlying the Report."

Merom Brachman '58, Council Secretary, who was responsible for publication of the Report, said that he was pleased by the Committee's action since he thought the recommendations "illadvised." He reported that there has been a fairly large demand for the report from other colleges.