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Dunlop Over Medeiros 14-1 In Honorary Degree Race

By Michael Ryan

Harry Truman doesn't have one, and won't be getting one. Nathan Pusey will probably have to wait until next year, and Lyndon Johnson will probably have to wait a long, long time.

As the hours until Commencement drift down to a precious few, speculation is running rampant through the Yard about this/year's honorary degrees.

NEWS ANALYSIS

Honorary degrees are always a well-kept secret at Harvard, but the pattern of previous years usually provides a reliable guide for guessing. One denizen of University Hall, knowledgeable in such matters, has developed what he calls "The Danish Physicist Theory" -a formula for generating a pool of names from which recipients of honoraries might be picked.

The Danish Physicist Theory takes its name from the fact that, in the past 20 to 30 years, an unusually high number of physic?? from Scandinavia-and other Northern European countries-have received Harvard's honorary So. D. According to the theory, you can break down recipients of honoraries into several different categories, and then proceed to make your guesses:

The Harvard Family. In this category. R. Keith Kane '22, who retired last year as a member of the Corporation, is almost a sure bet. President Pusey, if tradition is followed, probably will net get his until next year. Dean Dunlop, runner-up to Derek Bok in the Presidency sweepstakes, may get one as a consolation prize, as Paul Buck did in 1953. One or two members of the various faculties-perhapsMason Hammond, the former Master of Kirkland House from Arts and Sciences, Jean Mayer from Public Health, or Paul A. Freund from Law-will get degrees. Radcliffe President Bunting is also a likely choice as is University troubleshooter Archibald Cox '34.

The 25th Reunion Class. It is not a hard-and-fast rule, but reunioners have a better chance than other Harvard alums. Caborn Elliott '46 would be a likely choice, but he is also a member of the Board of Overseers, and thus might be disqualified. The only other well-known name in the class is that of author and critic John Simon, whose chances are, to say the least, slim.

Ivy League Presidents. These eight men from a curious protective association of their own, a lot like the Elks or the Mafia. It is hard to be an Ivy League President and not pick up degrees from all the other schools in the League. This year's best bet: Donald Hornig '40, a Harvard man who took over the helm at Brown last year.

World Statesmen. As everyone knows, the Marshall Plan was announced on Commencement Day by its author, the recipient of a Harvard honorary. Of late, though, the recipients in this category have tended to be more obscure men, cabinet ministers in small European or Latin American countries. This year's recipient could be England's Prime Minister Ted Heath, France's Premler Georges Pompidon, or more likely, someone more obscure-possibly the poet-President of Chad who is reportedly in Boston this week. No one in the present U.S. Administration is likely to be considered.

The Arts. Anybody's guess is good here. L. E. Sissman '48, the poet, is possibly but unlikely. It is hard to envision she Corporation swallowing Norman Mailer '43, but John Updike '54 might be more acceptable. In the plastic arts, almost anybody could be named. The Washington Post reported yesterday that South African author and Nobel Prize winner Alan Paton is coming to the Boston area this week to pick up an honorary from a local college.

Religion. Every year, at least one man of the cloth is selected. This year. speculation has ranged from Union Sominary's Bishop Moseley to Boston's Archbishop Medeiros to Harvard's own Charles P. Price '40. Once again, it could be anyone.

In the miscellaneous category there is some speculation that anthropologist Margaret Mead might also receive in honorary degree.

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