University Denies Barring Negroes From Apartments

A University official yesterday denied charges by the Congress of Racial Equality that there is "apparent systematic discrimination" in off-campus housing owned by Harvard.

Charles P. Whitlock, assistant to the President for Civic Affairs, labeled the CORE charges unfounded, noting that "non-white families now live in all University housing units."

"If CORE decides to investigate," Whitlock declared, "they'll find out Harvard's off-campus living facilities are all integrated and have to leave without staging any demonstrations."

At a press conference last week in Chicago, James Farmer, the national director of CORE, said that the organization is making a study of the University to uncover possible housing discrimination and might demonstrate in Cambridge.

Farmer also charged that Columbia University in New York City owns apartment houses "from which Negroes appear to have been systematically excluded," but Columbia spokesmen vehemently denied the charges earlier this week.

Demonstrations In Chicago

For the past two weeks, CORE has been protesting racial segregation in off-campus apartment houses owned by the University of Chicago. The buildings, part of an urban renewal program, provide apartments for both students and non-university tenants.

Whitlock pointed out that Harvard rents apartments in its off-campus buildings only to married students at the College or the Graduate Schools. Although the University does not actually own the Harvard Housing Trust in Cambridge, priority for apartments there is given to University students.

In addition to the Trust, married students can live in three University-owned buildings. The Shattuck International House (near the School of Public Health) in Boston, and Haskins Hall on Irving St. and the Botanic Gardens near the Harvard Observatory in Cambridge.

The University is still drawing up plans for a new apartment building intended specifically for married students at the College. The new building will be constructed on the Charles, below Dunster House, on land owned by Harvard.