Riesman Claims 'Tyrannous' Group Opposes 1-1-2 Plan

Dean Pipkin yesterday sent all members of the Committee on Houses and Undergraduate Life a letter written by David Riesman '31, Ford II Professor of Social Sciences, recommending that the Faculty "go ahead with the 1-1-2 plan [for housing] even over intense minority student opposition."

The letter, supporting the 1-1-2 housing plan to place all freshmen in the Radcliffe Quad, sophomores in the Yard and juniors and seniors in the river Houses, states that there is a "tyrannous minority in the Quad" which is "female or femaleinfluenced" and wants to preserve the Quad as it is and to "impose its will on male captives and women who flee the milieu as soon as they can."

Pipkin said last night that the letter did not have "any official status" but was sent out to show students the arguments in favor of the 1-1-2 plan, which CHUL received unfavorably at its October meeting.

Ellen Kelman '76, CHUL representative from North House, said yesterday that "people should argue for or against 1-1-2, but the terms Riesman used are very disturbing."

She said she felt "that any professor her who would write about people at Radcliffe in those terms shows a complete misunderstanding of the feelings of the people living there. I question the use of the words 'minority' and 'tyrannous' and I don't think he understands Radcliffe.