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The radicals were also unmoved by a scathing answer to their demands from President Nathan M. Pusey. They had charged that the university planned to tear down Negro slums in Roxbury to make room for the expanding Harvard Medical School, and that members of the Corporation had illegitimate vested interests in preserving ROTC on campus: "These businessmen want Harvard to continue producing officers for the Viet Nam war or for use against black rebellions at home for political reasons." Pusey flatly denied that the university planned to destroy the housing. He also noted that Harvard had recently taken account of student objections by stripping ROTC of course credit, but was prevented from abolishing it entirely by "contractual obligations" to the Government. He began his statement by challenging the rebels' sincerity: "Can anyone believe the Harvard S.D.S. demands are made seriously?" He ended it on the same note: "How can one respond to allegations which have no basis in fact?"
Within 30 minutes after the seizure, Pusey began a six-hour round of conferences with his deans, his administrative board and the masters of the nine Harvard houses at the presidential residence, 17 Quincy Street. "It was all very informal," said one participant in the talks. "Very simply, he sought advice, and we gave it."
Letters about the CIA
In essence, Pusey had three options before him. One was to send in the police; a second was to try to negotiate with the intruders in hopes that they would abandon the building; a third was to seek resolutions from the faculty condemning the occupation, thereby encouraging the student majority to coalesce and isolating the radicals. Against substantial opposition from his advisers,
Pusey eventually decided to use force. A major factor in his decision was the legitimate fear that the radicals might rifle the university's confidential files. Friday morning, in fact, the Boston underground newspaper Old Mole printed seven Harvard documents that had obviously been discovered by the invaders. (see box page 55).
Shortly before dawn on Thursday, 400 policemen entered the Yard. About half were state troopers; the rest were drawn from the constabularies of Cambridge, Boston and other parts of the metropolitan area. Facing them on the south steps of University Hall were about 120 students, with wet pieces of torn bed sheets ready to put across their faces in case tear gas was used. Dean Fred L. Glimp of Harvard College gave the radicals one last chance. "You have five minutes to vacate the building," he announced over the bullhorn, but his words were drowned out by students chanting in unison "Pusey must go; ROTC must go!"