In 1934, Harvard Served Beer in the Dining Halls

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

January 3, 1924: Physical Records Show Improvement

About 2,000 physical examinations were conducted by Dr. Roger I. Lee '02, Professor of Hygiene, and his assistants during the past year, and on the whole, the reports show a satisfactory undergraduate health record. Of these, of course, many were reexaminations, but those of the 903 incoming freshmen present some striking features.

For one thing the smoking habit does not seem to be so prevalent in the Class of 1927. Each year statistics have been collected in regard to the number of men who smoke, and although these figures may not be absolutely correct, they are at least comparatively accurate. 32.5 percent of this year's freshman class are smokers while the percentage in 1921 was 48 percent and in 1922 was 37 percent. There is probably some slight tendency to a decrease in smoking due to an increased participation in athletic exercises. In one of the graduate schools, 53 percent of the men smoke as compared with 54 percent in 1921 and 65 percent in 1922. At a rough estimate slightly over half of the College students are tobacco users by the time they graduate.

January 4, 1934: Beer, Ale Served in Dining Halls After 100 Years

Beer flowed legally in the dining halls yesterday for the first time in over 100 years. Two brands of beer and one of ale were offered to students over 21, seated at special tables. The Business School and Medical School were deprived however of the privilege because the University has not as yet procured a license for them.

This unprecedented action was the result of an announcement made December 20 by the Corporation that it would apply for licenses permitting the sale of malt beverages in the Houses. The Corporation's decision to apply for licenses followed long agitation that began last April when the 3.2 beer bill was passed and continued through to its climax some weeks ago when several students brought wine into the dining halls and some Houses voted in favor of having beer served.

January 5, 1943: Yardling Invents Face-Saving Mask

If a large enough market seems likely to present itself, a dazzlingly different type of headgear, practical and picturesque, may soon be manufactured on a grand scale by Glen O. Martin '46 of Joplin, Missouri, and Weld Hall. The new device which will soon be a must in every student's wardrobe, according to Martin, is called the Little Dandy Umbreller-Repeller, and really seems to be a marvel of simple efficiency.

Martin conceived the idea of his invention when, during a recent rainy spell, he found himself beset on all sides by determined females wielding the sharp points of their umbrellas with deadly efficacy, so much so, in fact, that he claims he was forced to cower for an hour in a convenient doorway till the rush hour passed. Fervently he wished for some sort of apparatus which would protect him reasonably well from the all too accurate thrusts of the parasol brigadiers, so when he arrived back at his little den in Weld he set to work on the plans of his brainchild.

January 5, 1956: Alumnus Quits Council, Objects to Oppenheimer

The Class of 1918's representative of the Harvard Fund Council has resigned in protest over the appointment of J. Robert Oppenheimer '26 as William James Lecturer for 1957.

Edwin Ginn '18, a Boston financier, insisted that he was "all for Harvard, but the atmosphere has undergone a change. There is tarnish on the Veritas today. The good name of the University is being used to disadvantage."

Ginn wrote David T. W. McCord '21, executive secretary of the Council, that the appointment of Oppenheimer, whom he called "a known Communist sympathizer and confessed liar in a matter of espionage," was "just too much," in his resignation letter of October 31.

January 4, 1966: HUC Demands Cliffies Be Kept Out of Lamont

The Harvard Undergraduate Council voted yesterday to oppose the administration of girls to Lamont. Library officials are considering abolishing the long-standing ban on Cliffies in the undergraduate library.

In a letter sent yesterday to the deans and to Merle Fainsod, director of the University Library, the HUC listed three arguments against the presence of Cliffies in Lamont.

First, the problem of space: Lamont seats only 1200 and is often overcrowded even without opening its doors to 1200 Cliffies. Daniel C. Goldfarb Jr. '66, chairman of the HUC, doubts that enough Harvard students would use the new Radcliffe Library to offset the overcrowding.

The HUC also fears a book shortage, since the library was designed for the 1200 Harvard undergraduates. Goldfarb doubts that a significant number of Harvard students would use the now Radcliffe Library, which will be completed next September.

—Compiled by Rebecca D. Robbins