Winning the Numbers Game at the State House

"We have a joke that there are more Harvard men than Republicans in the State House," says State Rep. Forrester A. Clark '58 (R-Hamilton).

There aren't. Nonetheless it's likely that the Harvard graduates would make a much more powerful political party than the Massachusetts Republicans have managed to do in recent years.

Approximately 35 alumni are members of the 200-strong Massachusetts legislature and these lawmakers say that while they attained a unique perspective on many issues from their academic experience at Harvard, they do not rubber stamp the University's private agenda.

Harvard affiliates occupy important positions in the legislature as several serve as the chairs of state committees. In addition the current speaker of the House is George Keverian '53 (D-Everett). Clearly there is an impressive Crimson coterie on Beacon Hill, but the University's lobbyists say they do not need to exploit any influence they might have with these politicians.

"Keverian's election was a great event--to have a speaker as an alumnus is a very influential voice," says State Rep. Gregory W. Sullivan '74 (D-Norwood).

"There are advantages in the series of con-connections that you make with friends and people that you know. It gives you a background on how to deal with people, doors tend to open more, and you tend to meet a broader base of people," Clark says of the Harvard connection.

The Harvard name also can be an effective source of influence, some lawmakers say for the University. "Over the years Bok has written letters dealing with certain issues or problems and it has had an impact--it does command attention," says Clark.

But most legislators say their own political views are more important in their decision making than a Harvard connection. According to Democrat Keverian, "Everyone is proud of the institution, and the fact that they attended Harvard, and there is a feeling of camaraderie, but I don't think there is any sense of elitism."

Indeed Harvard graduates say that the most influence the feel from the University is what they learned while attending Harvard. "By in large Harvard alumni are more socially aware of events and issues, and they tend to be more outspoken than the average person, and their opinions are backed with good reasons and well thought-out philosophies in government," says Sullivan.

"My Harvard experience has greatly influenced the way I think, the way I vote, and the way I choose to address issues," Sullivan adds. At Harvard, Sullivan concentrated in social relations and government, which he said has directed him towards involvment in human and social services for the poor, the handicapped, and the oppressed."

"Harvard has broadened the scope of issues in which I deal with, it has enhanced my view of issues in the legislature, and allowed me to interact with practioners of governement in a national and international level," says State Rep. Richard J. Rouse (D-Boston).

But some lawmakers say that even if Harvard alums have entered, grown in wisdom and left to better serve the people of Massachusetts, the University itself does not always live up to the ideals it preaches.

State Rep. Saundra Graham (D-Cambridge), who was a Harvard Loeb fellow says there are valid explainations for the negative views some politicians hold toward the University.

"Harvard is a massive university with international acclaim, dealing with world issues, yet does not deal with the community that surrounds it," Graham says. And when they do address community problems it is in a "very harsh way," she adds.

Graham said that her experience at Harvard has given her insight into the interests of the University, and she says she will fight for the needs of the community because of Harvard's clear intention to "suck up everything around them."

"There is an element of elitism associated with Harvard--the view of a yankee protestant background, such as the Cabots `older family hertiage' image," Clark explains.

Some legislators also are not pleased with the current mode of Harvard political education. There are older Republican members in the Senate who view the Kennedy-School as an institution composed of "cold-blooded technocrats--where professors are business-like, while they claim to represent the people," says State Rep. Paul D. Harold (D-Quincy).

Vice president for Government and Public Affairs John Shattuck says that Harvard does not try to or need to encourage legislators to vote on any particular legislation that would benfit the University because it lobbies through the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, AICUM.

However, Harvard does sometimes need to emphasize issues which are of special interest often only to the University. As one of the top six producers of low-level radio active waste, Harvard has taken an active role in helping draft legislation concerning the disposal these wastes. Research activities at Harvard hospitals and research centers, which produce some toxic wastes, are very affected by such legislation, Shattuck says.

After two years of lobbying, the State senate this spring passed legislation that complies with federal regulations that requires states to establish in-state storage sites.

But Harvard's main concern is with state scholarship aid and fellowship programs, a cause for which Harvard actively lobbys for both in the state and nationally. Earlier this year Harvard invited freshman state legislators to a lunch to push for more student aid.

State Rep. Nicholas A. Paleologos (D-Woburn), chairman of the House Education Committee, considered Harvard's proposal for a $25 million dollar increase in scholarship aid this year, and it will be debated before the legislature this summer.

"Harvard watches what the legislature does--universities are like other businesses--if any law directly infringes on academic freedom, we would take action," Shattuck says. But a lot of the issues that the state addresses do not affect the university and does not require direct action, he adds.

However in some instances, Harvard faculty have become active in state issues. "Harvard lobbys get involved usually when there is something that directly affects Harvard, often historic interests. As a lobbying body, the greatest impact is from some of the faculty and staff in the education department--in the early 1970s one professor in the Education School was very active in school desegregation, and he had a great impact. Harvard activism does have a positive effect on those who get involved," says State Sen. Royal L. Bolling Sr. '47 (D-Boston).

Many legislators said that Harvard's main function in the legislature is to provide expertise and and information on various legal questions. Lamont University Professor Emeritus John T. Dunlop, is among some of the faculty sought out to advise on legislative issues. He has served as a chair of committees dealing with labor unions, and pension and retirement disputes, Bolling says.

Dunlop says that there has been a fair amount of interchange between Harvard and state government, especially since Gov. Michael S. Dukakis spent four years at the Kennedy-School of Government, and appointed K-School faculty such as Ira Jackson as commisioner of finance, and Executive Dean Hale Champion as his Chief of Staff. If Dukakis has his way in 1988 that influence may stretch from Massachusetts Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue.