Pforzheimer Could Have Been Conant House

Every Friday, The Crimson publishes a selection of articles that were printed in our pages in years past.

March 4, 1897: College Studies

The following figures show the diverging choice of studies at Harvard, Yale and Cornell.

The numbers in the first table denote the total of hours per week devoted to each subject; in the second table the percentage.

March 9, 1963: College May Ban Animal Nudity

The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals (SINA), a national association formed four years ago "to protect our children from the sight of naked horses, cows, dogs, and cats," will attempt to start a campus chapter of the organization at Harvard, Bruce Spencer, vice-president of SINA, told The Crimson yesterday.

SINA, which now claims 50,000 members in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, was founded by the late G. Clifford Prout, who left $400,000 to his son, G. Clifford Prout Jr. for the purpose of clothing all naked animals that appear in public, including any animal "that stands higher than four inches or is longer than six inches." The junior Prout, now president of SINA, has devoted all his energies to carrying out his father's plans, despite attempts by the rest of his family to contest the will.

The Society spends most of its time distributing literature ("Decency Today Means Morality Tomorrow") and serving printed "summonses" to persons found violating SINA's Constitution by appearing in public with naked animals. These documents warn that "the SINA Constitution requires you to answer this summons in person or through a sworn statement before the Executive Board of SINA...within ten days after issuance....setting forth a complete explanation of your actions." Violators ignoring summonses shall "in the name of decency...be deemed unworthy of ever appearing on the SINA membership rolls...."

March 6, 1972: Medical School Team Successfully Implants Nuclear-Powered Heart Device in Living Calf

The National Heart and Lung Institute announced Thursday the first use of nuclear energy to power an artificial heart pump in a living animal.

Dr. Theodore Cooper director of the Institute, reported at a Washington press conference that on Feb. 14, a research team from Harvard Medical School and the Thermo-Elecron Corp. of Waltham implanted a heart assist system with a nuclear engine in a calf.

Cooper announced at the same conference that the first total artificial heart to be completely implanted has undergone short-term animal tests.

Although this complete four-chambered heart pump implant is powered electrically—with external connections or internal rechargeable batteries—it may also be powered by a small nuclear engine.

Dr. Lowell T. Harmison, head of the Institute's artificial heart program, said Thursday that the "complete system is now ready for long-term animal trials."

March 8, 1978: North House Votes Against Name Change

In a House referendum on Sunday and Monday, North House residents defeated a proposal to re-name their House after the late President Conant, members of the North House Committee said yesterday.

The proposal was defeated 67 percent to 33 percent, with 188 people voting, Boudinot Atterbury '79, chairman of the election subcommittee, said yesterday.

Nikki Kowalski '78, chairman of the North House Committee said yesterday many students voted against the change because Conant was not directly affiliated with Radcliffe.

Kowalski added there are no plans to bring up the proposal again.

Opponents of the proposal distributed position papers documenting Conant's lack of commitment to co-education and his role in developing the atomic bomb. Atterbury said this may have adversely influenced students.

—Compiled by Sophie T. Bearman, Benjamin M. Scuderi, and Julie M. Zauzmer