State Commission Grants Cambridge Bicentennial Funds

The Cambridge Historical Commission has received all of a $13,516 grant it requested from the Massachusetts Bicentennial Commission and the State Board of Education, the chairman of the Cambridge Bicentennial Corporation said yesterday.

Robert P. Moncreiff, chairman of the Bicentennial Corporation which is coordinating Cambridge's bicentennial programs, said the Cambridge business community will match the grant's monthly installments of $2,252.

The commission will begin work immediately on a bicentennial diorama, which will include a model of Cambridge in 1775, and two audio-visual presentations. One will give a general history of Cambridge, while the other will explore the city's military history, the development of neighborhoods, and black and immigrant experiences.

Donald C. Moulton, assistant vice president for community affairs and a member of the Cambridge Bicentennial Corporation, said yesterday the University is discussing a cooperative effort with the historical commission.

Harvard will apply for $20,000 in state funds in January, which, if received, will be matched by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Moulton said.

The faculty is planning an audio-visual presentation of the intellectual history of Cambridge and the University.

The state will grant a total of $2.5 million in five funding cycles before the Bicentennial. The $13,516 allotted to Cambridge is the city's share of the first funding cycle.

An historical commission report says Cambridge expects 75,000 to 100,000 tourists per week during the Bicentennial