Steiner Says University Fulfills Indian Obligation

Following the selection Tuesday of a Boston lawyer to investigate Harvard's commitment to Indians, Daniel Steiner '54, general counsel to the University, yesterday said Harvard has not violated any agreements concerning Indians.

He noted, however, that Harvard has failed to publish a selection from the will of William Stoughton that could provide financial aid to Indians.

Last month a state representative introduced a bill that would require the University to provide 25 full scholarships for Indian students.

Demolition Deal

In his bill State Representative Charles F. Flaherty Jr. asserted that in a 1693 agreement, Harvard consented to provide "rent-free" studies to Indian scholars in return for permission to demolish Indian College.

The Indian College was built in the 1650s by the "Commissioners of Massachusetts" to provide "for the Conveniencye of six hopfull Indians youthes to bee trained."

When Harvard demolished the Indian College to build Stoughton College in 1695, the Commissioners of the Commonwealth stipulated "in case any Indians should hereafter by sent to ye Colledge, they should enjoy their Studies rent free in said building [Stoughton]."

No Enforcement

Steiner said yesterday that no formal trust existed to enforce this stipulation and the agreement "was carried out in the best manner possible in those days."

Robert H. Quinn, attorney general of Massachusetts, said Tuesday that he intends to apoint Daniel B. Bickford to study the Indian College agreement and two other Harvard trust funds which include provisions for Indian students.

Although the Flaherty bill is still pending before the Joint Committee on Education, the Indian issue will most likely be handled by the attorney general's office.

"We determined that the attorney general's office was the only one that could handle this matter," Bickford said.

Steiner said that he talked to Quinn three weeks ago about the legal path, and they agreed the trust fund issue is a judicial, not a congressional, matter.

Roger Moore, an attorney for Harvard, testified Monday before the Committee on Education that the legislature has no jurisdiction in the Indian matter.

One of the other two funds, the Stoughton Bequest of 1701, provides aid first to residents of Dorchester, second to residents of Milton, and third to Indians.

No scholarship funds from the bequest were distributed until the 20 acres of Dorchester land donated by Stoughton were sold in 1923. The bequest now has a capital value of $127,317.42 which netted $7,815.86 in investment income in 1971.

The current University Register, listing all scholarship, beneficiary aid, and loan funds, omits any mention of Indians as a proviso of the Stoughton Bequest.

The omission was made sometime between 1701 and 1840. Josiah Quincy's History of Harvard University, published in 1840, and the present Register, make the same omission.

Steiner said yesterday that the University will include the section concerning aid to Indians in the next edition of the Register.

The third trust, the Williams Trust of 1716, a fund to "convert Indians," is not listed at all in the offical Register. Steiner said the University has been dispersing money from the fund--about $1400 per year--to outside religious groups