Police Ban Cole From Libraries

A former Levenson Teaching Award recipient is the target of a University police investigation and has been banned from Harvard's libraries.

A written to checkers at several University libraries was observed by three Crimson reporters this week.

The one-page memo, taped to the desk at the main entrances of Lamont and Widener Libraries, features a color photograph of William Cole, a teaching fellow in Literature and Arts A-21, "The Literary Mind of the Middle Ages."

Cole has been banned from Harvard libraries, the July 14 letter says, adding that a "no trespass" warning has been issued against him.

It does not explain why Cole has been banned from the library.

The letter warns that Cole may still carry in unexplored identification card, and that checkers "need not deal with him directly but should contact the Harvard University Police immediately."

The memo instructs checkers to contact three high-ranking police officials in particular--Lt. John F. Rooney, Sgt. Kathleen M. Stanford and Sgt. Lawrence J. Fennelly.

Police Chief Paul E. Johnson said earlier this week that there is an "ongoing investigation" of Cole.

"Mr. Cole has been identified as a person whohad considerable problems in other libraries,"Johnson said.

Pressed further, Johnson said that there "havebeen problems documented with other agencies,including our own and other libraries in thearea."

A security official at the Cambridge PublicLibrary said he had never heard of Cole and hadreceived no notice from University police.

Johnson declined to specify the problemsinvolving Cole.

Sending directives with pictures is used "mostoften for people who are more of an annoyance" inlibraries.

Asked if that was the nature of Cole's problem,Johnson replied, "That's not what I said."

Johnson said that distributing a letter is "amethod we use quite often."

But library security officer John Reillydisputed that.

Reilly, who said he has worked in Harvardlibrary security for several years, said Mondaynight that warnings such as the one observed byThe Crimson are issued quite infrequently--lessthan once a year.

But curiously, the memo had been removed fromthe library entrances by yesterday morning--eventhough a police officer interviewed yesterday saidthe situation had not been resolved.

A source said the memos have been placed indrawers at the library entrance.

Checkers have been instructed not to speak withThe Crimson about the matter, the source added.

One checker was approached yesterday morning atthe entrance to Lamont from Pusey Library.

When this reporter identified himself as aCrimson representative, the checker interruptedbefore questioning could begin.

"I know what you're here for," she said, "and Idon't know anything."

Even Reilly refused to answer any questionsyesterday.

He issued a "no comment" reply to more thanhalf a dozen questions--including questions towhich he responded freely earlier in the week.

And other University officials are equallytight-lipped about the case.

Fennelly said he had no comment about the case,as did a representative from the office of generalcounsel.

Meanwhile, Stanford, Rooney and Lt. Lawrence J.Murphy did not return several phone calls thisweek.

Cole himself did not return two phone callsthis week.

A curatorial assistant at Pusey said no memohad been sent to the library.

And Mary M. Gaylord, chair of the RomanceLanguages and Literature Department with whichCole was affiliated as a graduate student, saiddidn't know anything about the case.

In 1990, Cole received the Levenson Prize. Thataward is presented by the Undergraduate Council tostaff members who have made a particularly strongcontribution to the education of undergraduates.

Cole was also an outspoken critic of what heperceived as rampant grade inflation at theUniversity.

Cole received his doctorate in 1991. Presentlyunaffiliated with Romance Languages, he has beenteaching in the core program since then, Gaylordsaid.

The memo observed by The Crimson was written bySidney Verba, director of the Harvard Universitylibrary and Pforzheimer University Professor.

Verba did not return several phone calls thisweek.

Jonathan A. Lewin and E.F. Mulkerincontributed to the reporting of this story.

"Mr. Cole has been identified as a person whohad considerable problems in other libraries,"Johnson said.

Pressed further, Johnson said that there "havebeen problems documented with other agencies,including our own and other libraries in thearea."

A security official at the Cambridge PublicLibrary said he had never heard of Cole and hadreceived no notice from University police.

Johnson declined to specify the problemsinvolving Cole.

Sending directives with pictures is used "mostoften for people who are more of an annoyance" inlibraries.

Asked if that was the nature of Cole's problem,Johnson replied, "That's not what I said."

Johnson said that distributing a letter is "amethod we use quite often."

But library security officer John Reillydisputed that.

Reilly, who said he has worked in Harvardlibrary security for several years, said Mondaynight that warnings such as the one observed byThe Crimson are issued quite infrequently--lessthan once a year.

But curiously, the memo had been removed fromthe library entrances by yesterday morning--eventhough a police officer interviewed yesterday saidthe situation had not been resolved.

A source said the memos have been placed indrawers at the library entrance.

Checkers have been instructed not to speak withThe Crimson about the matter, the source added.

One checker was approached yesterday morning atthe entrance to Lamont from Pusey Library.

When this reporter identified himself as aCrimson representative, the checker interruptedbefore questioning could begin.

"I know what you're here for," she said, "and Idon't know anything."

Even Reilly refused to answer any questionsyesterday.

He issued a "no comment" reply to more thanhalf a dozen questions--including questions towhich he responded freely earlier in the week.

And other University officials are equallytight-lipped about the case.

Fennelly said he had no comment about the case,as did a representative from the office of generalcounsel.

Meanwhile, Stanford, Rooney and Lt. Lawrence J.Murphy did not return several phone calls thisweek.

Cole himself did not return two phone callsthis week.

A curatorial assistant at Pusey said no memohad been sent to the library.

And Mary M. Gaylord, chair of the RomanceLanguages and Literature Department with whichCole was affiliated as a graduate student, saiddidn't know anything about the case.

In 1990, Cole received the Levenson Prize. Thataward is presented by the Undergraduate Council tostaff members who have made a particularly strongcontribution to the education of undergraduates.

Cole was also an outspoken critic of what heperceived as rampant grade inflation at theUniversity.

Cole received his doctorate in 1991. Presentlyunaffiliated with Romance Languages, he has beenteaching in the core program since then, Gaylordsaid.

The memo observed by The Crimson was written bySidney Verba, director of the Harvard Universitylibrary and Pforzheimer University Professor.

Verba did not return several phone calls thisweek.

Jonathan A. Lewin and E.F. Mulkerincontributed to the reporting of this story.