Med School Fund Drive Still $14 Million Short

The Harvard Medical School fund drive is still $14 million short of its $58 million goal, but President Pusey has said he still hopes to reach the goal by June 30, 1965.

The Corporation set the 1965 date for the fund raising effort at its inception five years ago, but Pusey admitted that the drive will have to raise more money this year than it has in any of the previous four years if the goal is to be reached.

"It will be hard to make our goal now," Pusey said, "but it is still possible and we must make every effort."

The Medical School drive must rely on contributions from foundations, corporations, and philanthropists since its alumni number only 6000. Fund-raisers have set a $3.5 million goal to be raised from the alumni, $2 million of which has been collected so far.

Ridley Watts '23, general chairman of the drive, recently told the Overseers' Committee on University resources that it is imperative the Med School reach its goal. Watts explained that other medical schools are watching the Harvard drive, and it is important that the University not let these schools down.

Construction has already begun on the new Medical School library which was the primary objective of the fund-raising effort. When completed, it will be the largest private medical library in the world, and Med School officials proudly point out that it is being built without federal funds.

The Medical School has already endowed several new chairs with the money it has collected, and has moved toward the accomplishment of other goals of the fund drive.

President Pusey and the Corporation announced the $58 million drive in 1959. It has taken place during the last five years of the tenure of George P. Berry, dean of the Faculty of Medicine.

Berry will retire next year and Pusey last February began a nationwide search for his successor.