Study Made Button Recluse

University course work prevented him from living with Olympic teammates at Oslo, Dick Button told New York Mayor Vincent Impelliteri yesterday.

The Olympic figure skating champion and honors candidate in Government said that he was unaware of reports that his living away from the team in a hotel in Oslo had caused widespread grumbling among the U.S. athletes. He said he doubted the truth of the reports.

Taking the opportunity of meeting Impelliteri to explain, Button said, "I am a senior at Harvard, and the University allowed me to miss classes with the understanding that I would do a certain assigned amount of studying while abroad. I explained this to the Olympic Committee and they permitted me to stay in the hotel at my own expense."