Blood Drive Harmed By Low Registration, Large Absentee Rate

This year's donations figure may turn out to be "the worst in the history of the Harvard Blood Drive," Miss Lee Grace, Director of the Cambridge Blood Program, said yesterday. Drive officials expect no more than 500 pints, 40 per cent less than last year's record.

"No-shows have been our greatest problem," Miss Grace explained. On Monday, the first day of the drive, only 140 appeared at the Memorial Hall donation center, although 203 had registered. Miss Grace suggested that the failure is caused by "students who sign up to donate due to social pressure, not a desire to give."

Low registration is another cause of the drive's troubles. Only 1000 students signed to give this year, in contrast with last year's 1500.

The poor response had idled many of the Red Cross's nine nurses and two doctors working at Memorial Hall this week.