Pusey Defends University In Stand on Civil Rights

President Pusey has extended the sympathy of the Harvard Corporation to civil rights workers concerned with "the injustice under which Negroes still suffer in this country." But the President made clear the Corporation's belief that "Harvard's attitude on racial equality for all Americans has been so adequately demonstrated over the years as not to need special affirmation at this time."

Pusey's remarks came in a letter to Marshall Ganz '64-3, head of a student committee which two weeks ago urged the Corporation to declare the University's "opposition to the racist activities supported by its investments."

In his letter, dated May 18, Pusey pointed out that the University has always followed a policy of not exerting influence by its choice of investments or use of its stocks.

"Even were our investments in the companies you mention of sufficent size so that their withdrawal might influence the policies of those companies, we should hesitate to do so," Pusey explained, "since it is difficult to see how an action calculated to injure the economy of the region could possibly be helpful to the Negroes."

Ganz's group urged particularly that the University sell its stock in Middle South Utilities, Inc., which owns power companies in Arkansas, Louisana, and Mississippi. The group charged that Middle South has racist hiring policies and is affiliated with segregationist legislaors.

The student committee also asked the Corporation to take a public stand on segregation and to work against Middle South's present policies at stockholders' meetings. The Corporation practically never takes a public position on political or social issues.

But Harvard has always defended its employment practices as absolutely free from any racial or religious discrimination, and its officers have often lent strong unofficial support to students' activities on behalf of civil righst.