Gifts to the University Off 2% for the Year

Regular gifts to Harvard fell 2.2 per cent during the past academic year, the University announced yesterday.

Gifts totaled $5,753,812 from 47,372 alumni, parents, friends, and corporations. The total was $132,132 less than the $5,885,944 raised in 1968-69.

The "annual" gifts included in the figure are generally unrestricted and can be used for current expenses.

With faculty budgets especially tight now, annual gifts are particularly important. But the stock market plunge and general dissatisfaction with universities had been expected to cause a drop in giving, and University officials were pleased the drop was not larger.

President Pusey said in a statement that "this continuing strong support, particularly from the alumni, shows an intelligent understanding of the problems we face and the efforts we are making to overcome them, whether or not the alumni always agree with our actions."

Most of the donations went to three funds: Harvard College Fund, $3,341,862 from 20,286 donors; the Business School, $1,057,891 from 12,389 donors; and the Law School, $804,542 from 8,093 donors.

Other donations to the University, not included in the "annual" giving, are ordinarily restricted gifts to endow chairs, build buildings, or otherwise assure the donor with a permanent monument at Harvard. The University did not release figures on those donations.

The University went to great lengths in the past year to assure potential donors that University disruptions are well in control. A Harvard College Fund newsletter mailed this month said "Harvard remains a very special place."

"The spirit is much improved." Dean Dunlop wrote. "I am both optimistic and resolute."