Blood Drive Is Underway To Help Ailing Professor

Professor of Middle Eastern Studies Albert J. Meyer, who is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has contracted a serious bacterial infection, and a blood drive is underway to help him combat this recent complication.

Meyer is suffering from hairy cell leukemia, which prevents his bone marrow from manufacturing enough white blood cells to combat the infection, according to Dr. Thomas J. Ervin, medical director of the Dana-Farber blood components laboratory.

The institute organizes collection drives for patients who badly need blood, Ervin said yesterday. This effort is targeted at Meyer's friends and colleagues at Harvard.

Meyer, 64 years old, has been at Harvard since 1955 as a specialist in Middle Eastern economics. He has written numerous works in the field, including "Middle Eastern Capitalism" and "The Economy of Cyprus."

"He is one of the key people in Middle Eastern studies." Davis S. Landes, Coolidge Professor of History, said yesterday.

The institute does have some donors available who have helped to get Meyer through the first few days of his infection but 50 people are needed over the next three weeks.

Anybody

In an effort to inspire additional volunteers, Meyer's family has placed an advertisement in today's Crimson (see Page Four).

Though only "O" type blood donors can give to Meyer, others are encouraged because Dana-Farber can trade for "O" type with the American Red Cross, Anita B. Safron, a friend of Meyer's, said yesterday.

All persons are eligible to give blood if they have been medicine free for five days, have had no cold symptoms for three days, have no chronic diseases, and have no history of migrane headaches, according to Marilyn Yanak of Dana-Farber.

Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Edward L. Kennan '57 said that he was planning to donate early next week adding. "I hope others will do the same--he needs donors. I urge his colleagues, his friends, and members of the community to give him white blood cells."

University Health Services has offered to test blood types for both Harvard and non-Harvard donors.