Student Dies in Ec Class As Help Comes Too Late

A half-hour medical emergency during a 9 a.m. Economics 1350 class yesterday prevoked a confused response from Harvard medical and police operations and culminated in the death of Alfred T. Pickering, Jr. '74.

Pickering suffered a seizure at 9:45 a.m., and efforts by his classmates to prolong his life for 20 minutes until help arrived proved futile.

Alan Boyer '75, a student in the class, said yesterday, "Pickering slumped over in his chair and began gasping for air. The student behind him shouted 'Is anybody going to help this person?'"

Goll Pierson, assistant professor of Economics and Instructor of Ec 1350, immediately sent students to contact the police and UHS.

One student reached UHS on the telephone and reported the trouble. Police captain George Walsh said yesterday that UHS then informed the University police of the emergency. A patrolman was dispatched to Sever to evaluate the situation. Walsh also said that the police alerted the Cambridge rescue unit.

Boyer ran to the emergency room of UHS to get help. "They told me on ambulance was already on the way," he said. But when he returned to the class, assistance had not yet come.

Pickering's classmates tried to keep him alive until the first help arrived by administering first aid. "We thought it was an epileptic seizure," said Boyer.

Pickering's medical history reveals no record of epilepsy. "He's been the picture of health," said Dr. William Kadon of UHS, who later examined Pickering. He speculated that the cause of death may have been a heart attack. The exact cause, however, has yet to be determined.

At about 10-05 a.m., the University patrolman arrived at the scene. He saw that the trouble was serious and radiced for help.

In response, the police sent a car to Sever with emergency equipment and a second one to University Health Services to pick up a doctor.

Kaden arrived at the scene at 10:15 a.m. and pronounced Pickering dead.

Pickering, of Leverett House and Newington. N.H. graduated from Portsmouth Senior High School and was majoring in economics.

"I am really disturbed at the casual attitude everyone took," Rich Baughman '75, a student in Ec 1350, said yesterday. "Only when they saw it was really nervous did they begin to hurry," he said.

Several students of the class are upset over the death and one has sent a letter of protest to the director of UHS. He complained of the delay and the lack of established emergency procedures.

Dr. Sholem Postel, assistant director of UHS, called the charges of delay "exaggerated." He did say, however, that an undermined amount of time was lost in handling the call because it was not received at UHS's emergency number.

Police and UHS officials were not in agreement as to the proper emergency procedure that should have been followed.

Spokesmen for both the police and the UHS said that its own organization should be contacted first in the event of a medical emergency.