Hoover Sweeps University in Greatest Republican Landslide on Record Here

Among the most surprising facts revealed in the CRIMSON presidential poll taken yesterday throughout the entire University was the overwhelming landslide for Hoover who cornered 1741 votes out of the 2869 cast. In spite of national indications to the contrary, the Republicans secured the greatest plurality ever recorded in any quadrennial straw vote taken at Harvard.

Swing to Socialists

The swing to the Socialists was almost as amazing a revelation. Thomas secured 484 votes, falling only a little below Roosevelt, who polled 620. In five of the Houses, Dunster, Eliot, Leverett, Lowell, and Winthrop a notable majority voted for the Socialist candidate. Early indications showed Thomas carrying the College by more than 100 votes, but afternoon returns quickly turned the tide.

Democratic Strongholds

The Freshman class, and the Law and Business Schools were the Democratic strongholds, where returns indicated twice as many Roosevelt as Thomas supporters.

In the state-by-state tabulations, Hoover's success may be attributed to the staunch support of 698 Massachusetts Republicans. The vote for the Bay State totalled 981.

In the College 2015 ballots were used, out of which 1211 rallied to the Republican standards, 395 endorsed the Democrats, and 386 Socialists combined to make Thomas a dangerously close third.

Graduates Republicans

The Graduate Schools returned only 854 votes, and was ardently Republican with 536 students supporting Hoover. Of all the departments, the Freshman class popularized the poll most with 540 first-year men casting votes.

Kirkland was the most radical of the Houses with five votes favoring the Communist candidate, and 23 for Thomas. The Union was also radical with 77 Thomas votes, and two for Foster.

Over 150 men who supported Hoover in 1928 changed their allegiance this year to Thomas. Eighty-eight Democrats also shifted their political stand and rallied to the Socialists.

Former polls taken by the CRIMSON show that in recent presidential straw votes, the University has always been Republican. In 1928, the total vote cast was 4080 with the Republicans drawing 2080, while the Democrats received 1775. In the largest vote ever cast in 1924 which returned 4583 votes, Coolidge got 2053 ballots, which defeated 1200 supporters of Davis.

Although the vote was not as heavy this year, due in part to the fact that it was not held over a two-day period, the Republicans polled more votes compared with the Democrats than ever before in the history of the CRIMSON's quadrennial polls.

The Freshman wits revealed themselves in a light vote cast for Wintergreen and members of the Zilch family