Lehman Hall May House New Commuters' Center

Lehman Hall may be the site of the new commuters' center, the CRIMSON learned yesterday. First proposed to the Dudley House Committee by a high Administration official, the Lehman Hall location would replace the already purchased ground behind the Fly Club.

The move seems logical, Frederick H. Joseph '59, a House Committee member, said yesterday, since it is "pretty definite" that the offices in Lehman will shift to the 12-story "business block" to be built between Massachusetts Ave. and Mount Auburn St. When this construction takes place, Dudley House will be torn down, while Lehman Hall will become free for possible use by the Commuters.

Joseph asserted that architects studying the problem feel that Lehman could be converted into an ideal center. There would be space for a dining room, bunk quarters, a large library, a recreation room, and common rooms, he pointed out.

One reason for the possible change of scene was the lack of immediate funds needed to build a new center. A part of the Program for Harvard College, the proposed $1 million structure on Plympton and Mount Auburn Streets has yet to attract a donor willing to contribute a sizeable amount.

$500,000 Needed

Since $500,000 is necessary to give the project priority, it may be a long time before any action is taken. If a specific donor for Dudley's successor has not appeared even when the Program reaches its goal, the $1 million might go for another, more pressing needs.

Furthermore, Dudley men are still unconvinced that a location in the Quincy House area would be the best for commuters. According to Joseph, one of the students sampling opinion on the matter, half the men polled felt that the advantages of the Lehman site were more important than being close to the Houses.

Delmar Leighton '19, Master of Dudley House, agreed that "it will obviously be necessary to provide other facilities when Dudley House is torn down." The new center's location is "still in the area of speculation," he said, and the Lehman Hall idea is "just one of a number of possibilities."