Summer School Girl Is Attacked In Thayer Hall on Sunday Morning

A Summer School student was apparently attacked in her dormitory early Sunday morning.

The girl was reportedly alone in her room just before 1 a.m. when all dormitory doors are locked. A youth, described as medium build from 19 to 25 years old, entered her room and was said to have strangled the girl unconscious.

This chain of events was gathered primarily from students; the Cambridge police disclosed that there had been an incident Saturday evening, but declined to elaborate.

Confidential

Julian T. Baird, Dean of Men, also refused to discuss the incident. He categorically denied a report that the girl had been raped. All information about the incident was confidential and restricted to the University Health Services, he said. One proctor suggested last night that the incident might have been an attempted robbery.

According to student reports, the girl lived in Thayer Hall and has now left the Summer School.

Although there were no confirmed reports, it appeared that the girl's assailant had not been caught. Dean Baird declined to discuss what action, if any, the Summer School had taken. Thomas E. Crooks, director of the Summer School, was in Pennsylvania on vacation.

At the beginning of the summer, the Summer School Administration expressed concern over the possibility of friction between its students and local youths. Early in July, Dean Baird said he was worried about a mixer across the river in Briggs Cage, because large numbers of girls would have to walk back to their dorms late at night.

Closed Doors

Baird also followed the practice, instituted last year at Harvard, of closing all but four gates of the Yard at sunset. This had been a weekend-only policy during the regular year, but Baird decided to put it on a daily basis in order to restrict entrance to the Yard and make it easier for the University police to patrol the dormitory area.