Med School's Drive Nears Half of Goal

The Medical School has announced a total of $22,529,585 raised in the $58 million Program for Harvard Medicine as it begins an intensified national campaign for funds.

Next week the Program will take steps to accelerate the drive, in spite of anticipated Federal aid from the Kennedy medical bill.

The Program is significant because it represents a large-scale effort by the University to reduce its reliance upon Federal money as opposed to private funds. At present one-half of the Med School's annual budget comes from the government.

Faculty Salaries

Of the Program's goal, $50.5 million has been reserved for teachers' salaries. A University policy against accepting Federal funds for faculty pay has been assumed after President Pusey's statement earlier this month that "American education has not asked--and does not want--direct general assistance from the Federal government to pay faculty salaries and to meet general operating expenses."

In view of Pusey's comment, the University is expected to refuse future Federal grants for direct payment of faculty salaries.

The School has planned to construct only one building with Program money, the Countway Library of Medicine. The Program allocated $7.5 million for the library and has already passed the amount specified for the modern structure.

Even with the anticipation of greater federal aid for laboratories and research at medical schools, Harvard will still seek the aid of medical and business leaders in its Program, which will probably last about three years. Thus, the Program for Harvard Medicine will attempt to free one unit of the University from over-reliance upon governmental aid.

President Pusey will meet next Saturday with 85 medical and lay leaders--most of them alumni--to discuss plans for intensifying the Program. The meeting will include talks on teaching and research programs conducted at the Med School and a speech by Pusey. In the afternoon session the group will hear Ridley Watts '23, General Chairman; Dr. George P. Berry, Dean of the School: and Laurence O. Pratt '26, Program Manager.