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Students. But great masters are only half the Conant formula for Harvard's future. He wants the best apprentices too. Under Abbott Lawrence Lowell, scion of a rich and ancient Boston family, it could be argued that Harvard had become a "rich man's college." James Conant was born in unfashionable Dorchester, Mass., son of a photo-engraver. He has made himself an intellectual aristocrat. Under him Harvard's favored sons will be, beyond argument, the rich in brains.
Wrote he last week: "The universities in this country should be the apex of a pyramid based on our highly developed school system. A path to the top should be open to all of exceptional talent. . . . To accomplish its mission Harvard must be a truly national university. . . . We should be able to say that any man with remarkable talents may obtain his education at Harvard whether he be rich or penniless, whether he come from Boston or San Francisco."
That such a goal must be distant even for rich Harvard, President Conant admits. But as first steps toward it he would combine present funds, make one fat $1,200 fellowship out of four thin $300 scholarships, award it for two or three years instead of one. As an experiment, he would like to set up half a dozen $1,000 freshman scholarships in a section of the
Midwest. "No one," he told 600 alumni in Manhattan's Harvard Club last week, "can predict in what locality able young men may be found or into what family they may be born."
If he can get 200 or 300 genuine scholars into his student body of 8,000 President Conant will be satisfied. But he hopes to persuade the rest to cheer learning from the sidelines. For: "It is not sufficient to train investigators and scholars; a large body of influential citizens must have a passionate interest in the growth of human knowledge."
But he will tolerate no mediocre minds or spirits in his Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Its halls are sacred to scholars. He wants incompetents "ruthlessly" weeded out. Says he: "Unless a man is exceptionally gifted and filled with a passionate interest in his subject he should not remain in the Graduate School and he should certainly not receive our Ph. D. degree."
University. No. 2 Harvard administrator is Kenneth Ballard ("Cotton-top") Murdock, 38, professor of English and dean of the faculty of arts & sciences. Son of a Boston banker, he is solemn, efficient, popular, scholarly, and the author of two books on Increase Mather. He has been President Conant's warm friend since boyhood, was best man at his wedding. But their relations were strained for a time last year by James Conant's shy embarrassment when, not long after congratulating Friend Murdock on his certain election to Harvard's presidency, he himself got the job. Some Harvardmen think "Cotton-top" Murdock might be president today if early Lowell backing had not exposed him to attack.
Dean Murdock's faculty of 300-odd teaches in both College (enrollment: 3,450) and Graduate School (enrollment: 915). President Conant has lately proposed to restore its voice in administrative affairs by substituting a representative assembly of some 60 members for present poorly-attended general faculty meetings.