Harvard May Put 2.5 to 1 in 'Cliffe Quad

Another multi-million dollar building may soon rise over the Harvard campus to accommodate the increased number of students entering the University under the 2.5-to-1 male-female ratio.

The Planning Office has drawn up two plans for the construction of new dormitories for an additional 300 undergraduates.

The plan now most prominently discussed calls for a $2.5 million to $3 million construction project at the Radcliffe Quadrangle, with new housing built in the spaces between several of the Radcliffe dormitories and in the vehicular exist from the Quadrangle.

Under an alternate plan costing about $4 million, the University would build a large freshman dorm in the Yard on the site where the Design School's Hunt Hall now stands.

The Administration's present plans call for financing for the proposed projects to come from alumni donations. Dr. Chase N. Peterson '52, vice president for Alumni Affairs and Development, is currently pursuing one prospective donor who may give Harvard a contribution large enough to cover the cost of either project.

But the donor, whose identity is a closely guarded Administration secret, has yet to decide that he definitely wants to part with his millions. And even if he does, he may tell Harvard that he wants to specify what kind of building he wants built on what part of the campus.

The location of the housing has important implications for the questions of whether freshman residences should be integrated or kept separate from upperclass housing. If the plan for a new Yard dorm is followed, it may tend to force a decision in favor of a separate freshman year.