New Financial Organization of University, Temporarily Completed; Vice-Pres., Bus. Manager, Ass't., as Heads

An event took place on February 26, 1934, which has just had its culmination in the announcement of the appointment of Irving B. Parkhurst, Clerk of Works, as Assistant Business Manager of Harvard University.

That event of last winter was the appointment of John Wilbur Lowes '17 as the new Financial Vice-President, and the creation of this new office was the opening chapter of President Conant's reorganization of the financial administration of Harvard. The second chapter was written into the books with the announcement on June 27, 1934, five days after Commencement, of the appointment of Aldrich Durant '02 to the new office of Business Manager.

Final Chapter

And yesterday, with the announcement of Parkhurst's appointment, the final chapter was published in the story of Harvard's financial reorganization.

When President Conant went into office a year ago, the higher administration of financial affairs of the University was under the direction of a Treasurer, a Comptroller and an Assistant Comptroller. Of these three higher officials in the hierarchy, the Treasurer, Henry L. Shattuck '01, alone remains.

Prelude To Changes

The prelude to the reorganization came in the fall of 1933, soon after President Conant took office, when, without any horn-blowing or grinding of machinery, Lowes, who had been Deputy Treasurer since 1929, was made Financial Assistant to the President. Only a few of the higher-ups realized the sweeping changes which this step foretold.

Lowes received his appointment to the newly-created office of Financial Vice-President on February 27 and less than a week later, the announcement came through the regular channels that Arthur L. Endicott 94, Comptroller, had been given a leave of absence of indefinite length.

Old Office Gone

Workmen were seen clearing out the furniture in his office and it was generally assumed, and later found to be correct that the old office of Comptroller was a thing of the past. Then to the outside world was revealed the extent of the changes which President Conant was planning to make.

Nothing more was done on the program until after the resignation of Edward S. Emery '87, assistant to Endicott, whose office was defunct in fact if not in name. The way was then clear for the completion of the reorganization.

Just what do these new officials and the new organization of which they are a part, have under their jurisdiction?

Lowes' Duties

Lowes, in a letter to other officials of the University this summer, set forth the duties and responsibilities of the Financial Vice-President. He says: "The Financial Vice-President, whose office is in 5 University Hall, is responsible for the administration of the budgets of the University and its departments, for matters involving the disbursements and allocation of funds and other property, for general oversight of the business organization, and for the many questions not susceptible to classification where elements of financial policy exist."

Durant's Duties

To the Business Manager, Durant, is given the duty of administrating the following activities which formerly came under the supervision of the Assistant Comptroller: Caretaking (Janitors and Goodies). Dining Halls, Engineering Department (Heat, Light and Power), Harvard Bindery, Maintenance of Buildings and Grounds, New Construction and Alterations, Purchasing, Real Estate in Cambridge and Brighton, Service Bureau, Telephone Service, Watchmen and Police.

This, in brief, is the new financial setup which President Conant has inaugurated and, with the establishment of the new Prize Scholarships the most important material change made by the new administration