JOBS FOR PH.D.'S

To the Editors of The Crimson:

Your article concerning the job situation for Ph.D.'s conveyed what I believe to be erroneous information with respect to the Department of English and American Literature and Language. It was stated that Ph.D.'s in this department, as in others, had difficulty both because of the tigher job market and the failure of the department to provide any placement assistance.

In fact, this department has had a remarkable record over the past two years--in absolute terms as well as by comparison with other Harvard departments or English departments elsewhere--in placing its Ph.D.'s. This record is in large part attributable, I believe, to the considerable time and energy expended by our department's director of placement, Professor Jerome H. Buckley.

I wish your reporter had spoken to members of this Department, including graduate students, rather than apply to us a generalization based on complaints with respect to other departments. Professor Buckley's extraordinary efforts should not have gone unnoted. Alan Heimert, Chairman