Blacks Meet Bok, Charge Hiring Bias By Dorm Builder

Eleven black Harvard Law students confronted Law School Dean-designate Derek Bok in his office yesterday morning charging that black laborers were not being hired in the construction of a Harvard Law School dormitory.

Bok said in a second meeting with the students late yesterday that he had arranged for a conference today with Martin Gopen, employment counselor for the Urban League, and construction company officials. He said he would be present at the 4 p.m. conference.

The morning meeting yesterday started heatedly but settled down in the course of an hour-long discussion. Bok told the students, "I'm as concerned as you are about the situation, and we are going to move on it as swiftly as possible."

The students, all members of the Harvard Black Law Students' Association, entered Bok's small office in Langdell Hall at 11 a.m. They asked Bok what action had been taken on a report that they had submitted to him May 16. The report charged that only one black construction worker had been used on the three-story dormitory project. Construction has been underway for five months.

Black List

Alphonso A. Christian, a third-year student and one of the leaders of the group, noted during the morning meeting that a list of 28 qualified black construction workers had been submitted with the report.

He added, "We had been given reason to believe that some action would be taken on the report by today."

Bok replied that he had not talked with representatives of the firm, Vappi Construction, Inc., but he said that he had called Gopen and had given him the list. He said that Gopen was to call his office sometime later during the day to report what progress had been made.

"This thing has been going on for months now," Christian went on, "and I think it's a shame for a sore like this to exist in the presence of this so-called liberal institution."

"My position is the same as yours," Bok answered. "Don't think for one minute that we're trying to dodge the issue. We just haven't had enough time to explore the situation yet."

After an hour's discussion with the students, Bok arranged another meeting for 5 p.m., when Bok said that he would be able to give the students concrete answers.

When the students reconvened at Bok's office, he said that he had arranged a meeting for today between himself, Gopen, and an officer of the Vappi company.

The student leaders--Christian, Conrad R. Belt, 1L, Charles J. Beard, 2L, and Philip N. Lee, 1L--said that concern among the black students was aroused by the report, which was prepared by Richard T. Seymour, 3L.

Vappi built the Harvard married-student dormitories and was a chief contractor in the construction of the Prudential Building. The new men's dormitory, scheduled for completion late this year, is adjacent to Harkness Commons.