Gifts to Charities Reach $23,607

A surge in the last two nights of collecting increased the 1960 Combined Charities Drive total to $23,607.75, exceeding the drive's goal by over $1,000.

Though solicitors are still bringing in small donations, it is unlikely that the total will top $24,000, David A. Swope 63, treasurer for the Drive, said yesterday.

Virtually final totals for the individual Houses put Leverett first in both total contributions and average individual gifts. The Leverett total was $3,068, an average of $7.05 per donor.

Every House except for Eliot and Winthrop posted substantial gains over last year's figures. Quincy had the greatest improvement, raising their total from just over $1,200 in 1959 to $2,144 this year. The increase in House contributions was partially offset, however, by a slip from $6,175 to $5,550 in the Yard.

The second-place position went to Dunster House, where 326 members donated an average of $6.57 for a total of $2,133. Eliot House, last year's leader, finished third with a $6.21 average and a $2,523 overall total.

The Drive's goal of $22,500 was based on a predicted average gift of $5 per man, with a requested donation of $10 to compensate for students who gave nothing. Only Claverly, the Yard, and Dudley House fell below the $5.00 average.

The two largest undergraduate contributions were an anonymous $500 check from Leverett House and a $100 gift from a freshman. These donations helped the drive collect nearly $2000 more than last year's total of $21,657.