Conquered Fields

For the recent decision to wipe out Geography as a field of concentration, the excuse put forth was that "Harvard cannot hope to have strong departments in everything." At the moment when Geography threatened to become a strong department, in fact, it was eliminated. An associate professorship was proposed for Assistant Professor Edward A. Ackerman. When the Corporation turned down his appointment, thus halting the trend toward a strong department, the Division of Earth Sciences eliminated Geography for its inadequate staff.

If the question is examined from the aspect of economizing, since that is the avowed intent of the elimination, one finds only a small saving on the University budget, since the finances of the department are unique. The Institute of Geographical Exploration, which houses the Department, is privately owned, and its facilities, some of the finest for research in the University, are maintained and operated for University use.

What does the University stand to lose by its economy, aside from the field of Geography itself? Geography is not, as some geologists believe, a grade school subject. It is a field for research experts, and the Regional Studies Program started last year depends as much on those experts in Geography as in History, Economics, or Government. The Program has been fortunate, as has the Department itself, in having the services of Mr. Ackerman, one of the country's leading experts on the human geography of the Far East. He was granted a leave of absence to head the survey of the Japanese Islands for the coming peace treaty and also organized Japan's first National Planning Board. He returned in February and has resumed his part-time instruction in the Regional Studies Program.

There is no specialist in Russian geography connected with the University at the present time. It has, therefore, been necessary to import a visitor from outside to give the various geographical seminars on that country. When Mr. Ackerman's appointment ends, the geographical study of China will be placed on the same basis. It will be very difficult, indeed, to find a man of equal ability.

Harvard was chosen as a Russian Research Center by the Carnegie Foundation because of the facilities which it offered in many fields. It is beyond doubt that the work of this group will involve research in geography, but the success of that research will be undermined by the stoppage of much of the activity at the Institute.

With the excuse of inability to have strong departments in everything, the University has eliminated a field which was fast becoming a strong department under the guidance of extremely capable men. There is no question but that the expense would increase a the Department enlarged. However, the loss will be felt beyond the immediate field itself: in the specialized fields of area studies Education course. Human geography was, perhaps, a luxury when it was first introduced at the University 25 years ago. It is an absolute necessity now, as indispensable as government or history, when almost everyone has come to realize the responsibilities and burdens of world power.