E4D Elects Co-Chairmen To Kick Off Fund Drive

The Endowment for Divestiture (E4D), a student group which raises funds for Harvard that will be held in escrow until the University divests from its interests in South Africa, kicked off this year's drive Wednesday and elected two new chairmen.

Jonathan E. Martin and Jennifer Honig '88 won an uncontested election during a meeting of about 40 seniors interested in helping raise money for the five-year-old fund, Honig said.

While last year no money was raised for the fund created to pressure the University to divest from South Africa, Martin said that he and Honig will try to resurrect the fund this year.

The Adams House resident said that he sent out about 100 letters recruiting seniors to join an Ad Hoc Committee Against Apartheid, which would decide whether to reinvigorate E4D. After two or three meetings, the group decided in favor of the fund.

"I want to carry on the tradition of pro-divestment support at Harvard," Martin said.

E4D will work independently of the Ad Hoc Committee. "While E4D concerns itself with funds, the Ad Hoc Committee will organize anti-apartheid activities," Honig said.

E4D now holds more than $20,000 in its coffers and will continue to reserve these funds until Harvard divests of its interests in South Africa or the United Nations declares the end of apartheid. If neither goal is achieved within the next 15 years, the fund will be handed over to the Phillips Brooks House Association or charity.

Although Martin said he thinks students today are not as involved in anti-apartheid activities as they were two or three years ago, Evan O. Grossman '87-'88, who ran E4D last year, said he thinks "pro-divestiture sentiment has "never been higher." He said this year's organization "looks to be successful in raising both funds and awarenesss for the divestiture cause."

The Ad Hoc Committee of which both Martin and Honig are members, will sponsorlectures and faculty seminars in support ofdivestiture, the two said. They added that thecommittee will also run campaigns convincingseniors to boycott recruitment visits fromcorporations with ties to South Africa.

Gawain M. Kripke '88 and Betsy R. Fishman '88were elected Treasurer and Secretary of E4D,respectively