5 Giant Oil Companies To Give Financial Aid For Mid-East Studies

Financial support for the University's new center of Middle Eastern Studies will come primarily from giant oil companies with interests in that area.

Gordon Huggins '29, executive director of the Harvard Foundation, said yesterday that five major companies, either directly or through affiliates, are contributing more than half of the center's endowment.

These companies would presumably be Standard Oil of New Jersey, Socony-Vacuum, Texas Company, Gulf, and Shell. Spokesmen for Shell and Standard of New Jersey have declined to comment on their interest in the new center.

The Middle Eastern study program to begin next autumn will definitely train oil administrators for work in the East, William L. Langer, Regional Studies director, has stated. The program will also support any worthy research project on the area, Langer added.