University-Industrial Complex

To the Editors of The Crimson:

The Engelhard Foundation's willingness to drop the Engelhard name from the KSG library demonstrates that it is not the name but the thought that counts--the kind of thinking that places like the library make possible is vital to the interests of Harvard's wealthy backers.

President Bok missed the point when he claimed in his recent letter that donors "believe they are doing the institution a service at considerable expense to themselves." No doubt many individual donors value the honor of a building or program named after their favorite person, but the system of private university funding is this country has little to do with honor.

Universities like Harvard are not charities to which corporations, foundations, individuals and even governments give money out of the goodness of their hearts. These elite private (and occasionally public) schools comprise a structure of research, training and socialization that provides necessary services to American capitalism.

The "generosity" of Harvard's backers is well-returned. The University's faculty and graduate students do critical research for a variety of government and corporate interests, often on the basis of specific grants. Professional programs such as the KSG conduct advanced technical training for the future leaders of politics and finance. Harvard educates and socializes its undergraduates to take their place in the ruling class, inculcating them with establishment values and laying out a life-long program of privilege, powet and skills, if only they are willing to take that place.

Harvard's elite sources of support have no interest in cutting off the University, whatever concessions the Administration must make to disgruntled students and faculty in order to keep the place running smoothly. They know who the University really serves. They know that private universities and their funding mechanisms insure capitalist America the intellectual, technical and leadership resources it requires. As long as they get these things for their dollars the dollars will keep coming. William Swislow '79