Prison Inmates Down Harvard's Quiz Team

Five Harvard scholars matched wits Friday night with inmates of Norfolk State Prison-and lost.

At the end of the Prison Bowl-a rapidfire quiz modeled after the General Electric College Bowl-the score stood Norfolk, 224, Harvard, 189. This was Norfolk's 11th win in 13 matches with Harvard.

The first half of the match was a near draw. Harvard seized a short-lived lead as John V. Welts 70 identified Latin as the language of the Roman Empire. Norfolk rebounded immediately when Frank Visser recalled that M is the 13th letter of the alphabet. At halftime the inmates held a 97-93 lead.

During the second period. Wells continued his heroics, defining mizzenmast as the aftermost mast on a ship, but his efforts were in vain. Norfolk established an insurmountable lead when Arthur Devlin named dozens of state capitals and state birds.

"The match was a marvelous performance, considering that four of our players were rookies," said Harvard coach Michael A. Bundy 70. "The inmates play every week." he explained. "They run their quizzes like. Ohio State football practices."

Founded eight years ago, the Norfolk quiz team has won nearly 75 per cent of its weekly contests with New England colleges.

Bundy described the Prison Bowl as "a great opportunity for students to meet intelligent inmates in an interesting atmosphere." Timothy P. O'Neill 72, a newcomer to the Harvard team, said the matches are "typical battles between the pros and the cons."