Afro Review Holds Initial Discussion

The committee that is to review the Afro-American Studies Department met for the first time Saturday night and all day yesterday.

Walter J. Leonard, special assistant to the President and secretary and member ex officio of the review committee, said last night that the committee met with President Bok, heard a charge prepared by Dean Dunlop's office that explained the scope of their inquiry, and discussed the procedures they will use in their investigation.

The eight member committee--appointed by President Bok--is conducting a review called for in the original Faculty resolution that established the Afro-American Studies Department in 1969.

Four of the committee members are Harvard Faculty and four are 'outside' members. The committee is chaired by Wade H. McCree Jr., a member of the Board of Overseers and a U. S. Appeals Court Judge in Detroit.

Bok is grateful

President Bok said last night he "expressed gratitude" to the committee members yesterday for undertaking the review and told them the administration is "interested in making Afro-American Studies at Harvard as vigorous and flourishing as possible."

Bok said he "has no reason to expect that controversy will arise out of the committee's proceedings," but he added. "We're ready to expect anything."

Leonard said last night Dean Dunlop's charge to the committee--which will be formally released today--asked them to undertake a complete review "of the role of the Afro-American Studies Department at Harvard."

Leonard said that the charge also requested the committee "to consider the possibility of undertaking graduate instruction" in Afro-American studies.

He said that the committee decided to undertake a far-ranging inquiry. "The committee will talk with faculty and students at Harvard and at other schools around the country" to determine "the state of the art" of Afro-American studies, he said.

"The committee has sent out invitations to concerned people to submit information and recommendations" to the committee about the Afro-American Studies Department, Leonard said. He added that "this does not preclude others" from commenting on the Department.

Leonard said he will have formal direction of the committee's information gathering, but "other committee members will be pursuing informal investigations."

The next full meeting of the committee will probably be in mid-December to pool the information obtained, according to Leonard.