Seniors Asked to Give Aid to Harvard Fund

Seniors in the College will be asked in the next few weeks to assist the Harvard Fund, which last year contributed more than $1.2 million to meet current expenses of the College.

Although seniors will not be asked to contribute, Class Agents and members of the Permanent Class Committee will ask them to sign "declarations of intent" to give at some future time. These declarations--which are not legally binding--will be used by the nine Class Agents in solicitation next fall.

David McCord '21, Executive Director of the Harvard Fund, called the new declarations of intent "a significant change." In previous years, Class Agents have not written or called for contributions until well after graduation.

McCord pointed out that the Harvard Fund provides considerably less money than other comparable campaigns. In 1960, gifts to the Fund totalled $1.24 million, far below total Yale contributions of $2.3 million and Princeton gifts of $1.45 million. Yale also sponsors an insurance program, which provides large sums.

Income from endowment and alumni contributions has paid steadily lower percentages of the cost of running the University. As late as the 1920's, interest and gifts made up nearly half of the University's budget; only one-fifth of the University's expenses is now met by endowment income and contributions.