Philippines Gift

Imelda Marcos, wife of Phillipines President Ferdinand E. Marcos, will attend a luncheon at Tufts University today to announce a $1 million combined grant from several private Phillipine foundations to the Asian Studies Program at the Fletcher School of Diplomacy.

The gift will fund a chair in Pacific and East Asian affairs, three fellowships in East Asian studies, a lecturing position or a scholar-in-residence program, and improved library resources, Edmund A. Gullion, dean of the Fletcher School, said yesterday.

"There are absolutely no strings attached to the gift," Gullion said. The $1 million gift is a private donation, and is not connected with the Phillipine government, he said.

A member of the Tufts Political Action Group who asked not to be identified said last night the group plans to organize a demonstration against Tufts' acceptance of the gift when Marcos visits today.

Harvard has not received a similar gift from Phillipine organizations, although development officials have talked to some Filipino alumni about contributing funds to the East Asian Research Center or for general University use, William S. Olney '46, director of special projects for the University, said yesterday.

The grant is similar to a $1 million gift the Korean Traders Association (KTA) gave to Harvard in 1975. Harvard defended that grant on grounds that the center had sole discretion in using the funds, and the University planned to use the funds only for academic purposes.