Ford Plans Harvard Visit; GOP Club to Honor Him

Vice President Gerald R. Ford will visit Harvard briefly on March 11 to receive the Harvard Young Republican Club's 1974 "Man of the Year" award.

Ford will receive a plaque at Burr lecture hall in a 40-minute ceremony limited to the club's members, Richard N. Smith '75, program director for the Young Republicans, said yesterday. Smith said he feels the attendance restriction is fair in view of the brevity of Ford's visit.

Archie C. Epps III, dean of students, and Capt. George L. Walsh of the Harvard Police met yesterday with two Secret Service agents to discuss the security aspect of the vice president's appearance.

Epps said yesterday the agents had cleared Burr Hall from the security standpoint, and that there will be the usual number of Harvard policemen assigned for the visit of a dignitary to Harvard.

Epps said that in his talks with the agents, "We were not talking in terms of large opposition to Ford's visit." He added that the Young Republicans had expressed concern over an incident "a la Shockley," but that he had said no difficulty would arise.

The ceremony will occur at about 5 p.m.

Tradition

The invitation was extended to Ford when Smith found out that the vice president was going to be in the Boston area. Wallace Schwartz '74, president of the Young Republicans, said yesterday invitations are traditionally made when the club discovers that dignitaries are going to be nearby.

Schwartz said that the vice president's appearance is a triumph for the club because "it's been hard to get important people to come to Cambridge." He said that the Club had seen Ford in previous years during its annual trip to Washington "before he came into such good fortune."

Secretary of State Henry Kissinger '50, the Young Republicans' "Man of the Year in 1973," did not receive his award personally. Schwartz said that the group had planned to give him the plaque during last year's trip to Washington but that "Kissinger was unfortunately in the Middle East."