A $4 Million Vote of Confidence

Henry Ford resigned recently as the last member of the Ford family serving on the Ford Foundation's board of directors because he thought the Foundation funded programs which did not appreciate American capitalism. And as nuclear war would be detrimental to the free enterprise system, Henry probably will not be upset with the foundation's $4 million grant to the Kennedy School of Government's proposed Center for Science and International Affairs.

The money will be used, primarily to expand the Kennedy School's Program for Science and International Affairs (PSIA) and provide the center with a permanent endowment.

The center will conduct research on Soviet-American strategic arms control, nuclear nonproliferation, control of conventional arms, energy, and the impact of national sciences policies.

The Ford Foundation has given the PSIA smaller annual grants since 1973, and Ira A. Jackson '70, associate dean of the Kennedy School, said yesterday this latest endowment is "an amazing vote of confidence by the foundation."

"The luxury of a permanent endowment" means the PSIA will not have to do "job shop" contract studies for the government or rely on "soft" outside annual grants, Jackson said.

Graham T. Allison '62, incoming dean of the Kennedy School, said yesterday the most significant aspect of the grant is the impetus it will give towards the creation of at least six other research centers.

Henry Ford has always had a distaste for meddlesome government bureaucrats. Hopefully, he does not have a predeliction or business interest in nuclear weapons.