Jailed Grads Won't Forfeit Travel Gifts

Graduate student winners of Harvard Travel Fellowships will not forfeit their awards by going to jail to avoid the draft.

In a letter mailed to the winners today the General Scholarship Committee said that it would "reserve funds for a winner who is unable to accept the award in direct consequence of Selective Service Regulations." Both going to jail and volunteering for the draft will be considered direct consequences, according to Peter K. Gunness '57, Secretary to the General Fellowship Committee.

The fellowships covered are:

the Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship, the Frederick Sheldon Fellowship, the Sinclair Kennedy Fellowship, and the Augustus Clifford Tower Fellowship. All are foreign travel and study fellowships for graduated students.

Undergraduate Awards

Undergraduate travel fellowships are awarded by the College Committee headed by Dean Glimp. Glimp could not be reached for comment, but it is expected that his group will follow a policy similar to that of the GSC.

"Our reasoning with respect to the Fellowships was similar to that of the Law School with respect to re-admittance of draft resistors," said Gunness. The Law School announced yesterday that it would reserve places for students who have refused the draft and gone to jail. The Committee felt that service or resistance are unavoidable circumstances and should not be cause for denying a student his fellowship.

Decisions on fellowships granted by outside organizations, such as the Full-bright fellowship, have not yet been made. Fellowships granted jointly by Harvard and foreign schools cannot be guaranteed, but Gunness said that he is sure Harvard will make every effort to assist the winner of the award.