Corporation Rejects Library Renaming

The Harvard Corporation in a meeting yesterday morning effectively decided not to change the name of the Charles W. Engelhard Library for Public Affairs although a majority of the students said in a recent Student Assembly poll they support a name change.

Many student groups have urged the Corporation to change the library's name because they believe Engelhard, a deceased American businessman who invested heavily in South African mines, contributed to the strength of the apartheid system there.

"There was no support among Corporation members for considering changing the name," Daniel Steiner '54, general counsel for the University, said yesterday. Steiner said the Corporation opposes a name change for two reasons: members do not want to solve such a complex issue on an ad hoc basis, and changing the name would impugn the good motives of the Engelhard Foundation, which donated the library.

"The gift was offered to Harvard with the best of motives and was accepted on the same basis, so it would be inappropriate to change the name. It would be like inviting someone to lunch and then asking him if he were worthy of having lunch with me," Steiner said.

Although the Corporation members considered in their discussion student letters, petitions, and the Student Assembly poll showing that most respondents favored the name change, the members did not agree with their conclusions, Steiner said.

"It is fair to say the Student Assembly poll results were of interest to the Corporation, but important issues of policy to the University are not going to be decided by referenda," Steiner said.

President Bok is vacationing in Florida and could not attend the meeting. He can raise the issue on his return if he wishes, Hugh Calkins '45, head of the Committee on Shareholder Responsibility, said yesterday.

George Putnam '49. University Treasurer, said the Corporation discussed the name change issue despite Bok's absence because "Dan (Steiner) felt he owed the undergraduates an answer."

Groups who have asked the Corporation to change the library's name include the Student Advisory Committee of the Institute of Politics, Kennedy School students, the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee, some professors and administrators.

Although the Corporation tabled indefinitely the idea of changing the name, Steiner said members support developing a set of guidelines for accepting gifts, perhaps through a committee like that proposed by Graham Allison '62, dean of the Kennedy School. However, the Corporation is not sure how precise these guidelines could be, Steiner added.

Corporation members will probably not participate in the discussions of the Kennedy School committee, but they will "be very much interested in the discussion, because that subject will surely be coming back before us numerous times," Calkins said.