Overseers Table Plan for Civil War Memorial

Over the weekend, Harvard's Board of Overseers discussed a proposal for a Memorial Church commemoration of both Harvard Union and Confederate soldiers killed in the Civil War. But the Board decided to send the issue back to the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) for further consideration, Jack P. Reardon Jr. '60, executive director of the HAA, said last night.

"This is the kind of thing you only do if the community is really together on it," Reardon said. "I think we should have discussion with black student groups.... My sense is that the African-American community at Harvard is uncomfortable with it, and that is a very important community."

The proposed memorial is opposed by several black student groups, including the Harvard Black Law Student Association (HBISA), the African-American Student Union of the Harvard Business School and the College's Black Students Association, all of whom object to the commemoration of the Confederate soldiers.

In a letter to the Board of Overseers dated December 1, the HBISA wrote that the proposal memorial is "an affront to African-Americans as well as the brave sons of Harvard who gave their lives to preserve the Union."

The letter continued: "Despite the attempts of many to overly intellectualize this matter, the basic issue is straightforward and simple: Should the University honor the memory of those who fought to preserve a system based on slavery and rooted in racism?"

Because of the ongoing renovations of Memorial Hall--dedicated to Harvard's war dead the HAA last year formed an ad hoc committee to discuss a memorial proposal.

An early version of the proposal called for a memorial exclusively to the Confederate soldiers, who are not honored in Memorial Hall. But a later version was expanded to include all of Harvard's Civil War dead.

"As an alumni association, we thought it was worth taking a look at the issue," Reardon said. "We were trying to look at it as a memorial to alumni who died, not as a black and white issue," he said.

Some Harvard students said yesterday that they favor the proposal.

Donald W. Young '96-'97, chair of Harvard's Texan Club, said, "I think it's a complete travesty that there's nothing for the Confederate soldiers who lost their lives." But Reginald J. "Reg" Brown, a third-year student at the Law School and member of the HBLSA who opposes the proposal, said there are two different debates, one about the substance of the proposal and one about the process.

In addition to former and current presidents of the HAA, the ad hoc committee included the Reverend Peter J. Gomes, Plummer professor of Christian morals and minister in Memorial Church. In its letter to the Board of Overseers, the black student groups charged that this creates a conflict, since Gomes himself authored the early version of the proposal which the committee was investigating.

Reardon said Gomes was chosen for the committee because of his extensive background knowledge about and interest in the idea of a memorial proposal. But Reardon also said that Gomes was very much in favor of the plan.

"[Gomes] certainly pushed this," Reardon said. "He really was very much for this--way out ahead of everybody."

The HBLSA also charged that the HAA committee's efforts to solicit student and alumni response to the proposal were entirely inadequate.

"There is no indication whatsoever that the University tried to spark debate," said Brown.

Although a short article in the May/June issue of the Harvard Alumni magazine stated that "the committee invites comment" about the proposal, the HBLSA writes that "the article appeared during a period in which students were either preparing for finals or embarking upon their summer recess...If the committee's goal was to solicit input from a large number of individuals, its timing could not have been worse."

According to the HBLSA's letter, another article appeared in the Harvard Gazette, but this was "also during the summer months."

Director of Public Affairs Alex Huppe said the article was included in the Harvard Alumni Magazine because the issue "was a matter of importance to alumni." He said the story was also released to local media, including The Crimson.

"There was an effort made to have the issue widely discussed last spring," said Huppe. He said the response to the article "overwhelmingly favored the proposal."

According to HBLSA's letter, there may also be legal problems involving the agreement about the donation of Memorial Hall to the University, which "contains restrictions related to the creation of a memorial honoring the Confederate war dead."

Reardon said the issue of erecting a memorial to the Confederate soldiers has come up many times since the end of the Civil War. He predicted that the proposal would not come up for a vote soon, but said that extensive further discussions are necessary

"As an alumni association, we thought it was worth taking a look at the issue," Reardon said. "We were trying to look at it as a memorial to alumni who died, not as a black and white issue," he said.

Some Harvard students said yesterday that they favor the proposal.

Donald W. Young '96-'97, chair of Harvard's Texan Club, said, "I think it's a complete travesty that there's nothing for the Confederate soldiers who lost their lives." But Reginald J. "Reg" Brown, a third-year student at the Law School and member of the HBLSA who opposes the proposal, said there are two different debates, one about the substance of the proposal and one about the process.

In addition to former and current presidents of the HAA, the ad hoc committee included the Reverend Peter J. Gomes, Plummer professor of Christian morals and minister in Memorial Church. In its letter to the Board of Overseers, the black student groups charged that this creates a conflict, since Gomes himself authored the early version of the proposal which the committee was investigating.

Reardon said Gomes was chosen for the committee because of his extensive background knowledge about and interest in the idea of a memorial proposal. But Reardon also said that Gomes was very much in favor of the plan.

"[Gomes] certainly pushed this," Reardon said. "He really was very much for this--way out ahead of everybody."

The HBLSA also charged that the HAA committee's efforts to solicit student and alumni response to the proposal were entirely inadequate.

"There is no indication whatsoever that the University tried to spark debate," said Brown.

Although a short article in the May/June issue of the Harvard Alumni magazine stated that "the committee invites comment" about the proposal, the HBLSA writes that "the article appeared during a period in which students were either preparing for finals or embarking upon their summer recess...If the committee's goal was to solicit input from a large number of individuals, its timing could not have been worse."

According to the HBLSA's letter, another article appeared in the Harvard Gazette, but this was "also during the summer months."

Director of Public Affairs Alex Huppe said the article was included in the Harvard Alumni Magazine because the issue "was a matter of importance to alumni." He said the story was also released to local media, including The Crimson.

"There was an effort made to have the issue widely discussed last spring," said Huppe. He said the response to the article "overwhelmingly favored the proposal."

According to HBLSA's letter, there may also be legal problems involving the agreement about the donation of Memorial Hall to the University, which "contains restrictions related to the creation of a memorial honoring the Confederate war dead."

Reardon said the issue of erecting a memorial to the Confederate soldiers has come up many times since the end of the Civil War. He predicted that the proposal would not come up for a vote soon, but said that extensive further discussions are necessary