History Dept. May Move Up Date of Thesis

Elliot Perkins '23, professor of History, revealed last night that he will ask an April 1 meeting of the History Department to consider an earlier due date for honors theses. At a tutors' meeting on Tuesday, due dates two to four weeks earlier than the present April 1 deadline were discussed, Perkins said.

In addition to moving the deadline back, some tutors suggested that the department shorten the required length of the thesis and set up a series of seminars to facilitate preparation for generals.

Perkins emphasized that the tutors were divided on the question of shifting the deadline. While some reasoned that a longer post-thesis period would give seniors "a better crack at the generals" given in early May, others felt that "shorter time for the thesis would hurt the thesis."

The new proposals are partially an attempt to recover what one tutor described as the "lost month of October," when senior concentrators generally procrastinate in selecting their topics and beginning their research. An earlier due date, some felt, would induce earlier starts.

History concentrators polled last night generally favored the earlier due date. "Under the present system," complained one senior, "my thesis is due right in the middle of hour exams."

If any changes are made, they "would not affect the Class of '66," Perkins said. He characterized the meeting of the tutors as "cheerful" and said that no formal vote was taken on the various proposals discussed.

Perkins was skeptical that any immediate decision on the new proposals could be reached. The History Department, he said, might still be "kicking them around next fall."