Wrong Bork Sent Fan Mail

One Harvard junior has not been himself lately. His name pops up constantly in conversations that have nothing to do with him, and store and restaurant employees expound their political beliefs to him when they discover his name.

Basking in popularity or infamy, as the case may be, has its advantages and disadvantages, but it certainly provides opportunities for a good laugh, or so physics concentrator Robert O. Bork '89 learned when he went to his mailbox last Thursday.

Among the Lowell House resident's mail was a letter addressed to Mr. Robert Bork, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, which was not meant for him but for another Robert Bork who has never resided in Cambridge.

"I have heard and seen you on the news," began the letter, which was stamped "please inform sender of the correct mailing address."

"I don't know of any of the reasons that Congress or anyone else has for not wanting you to be a Supreme Court Justice but I personally think you are a fine choice and I wish you the best of luck," the letter continued.

Bork said the letter is the first of its type he has received but added that he expects more to follow. Bork said so many people have asked if he is related to the judge that he is "tired of adding a disclaimer" to his name.

The letter, which was typewritten, continued to say that its writer, Rene Wisecarver of Laceyville, Pa., did not know much about Bork, but she wanted to know "what constitutes your personal code."

In a telephone interview yesterday to Laceyville, Wisecarver, a ninth grader at Wyalusing Valley School, said that she wrote the letter as part of an English assignment given last week.

"We had to write three letters, one to a sports person, one to a political person" and one other, she said. Wisecarver said that she wrote a letter to a local sports celebrity but decided to be a bit braver with her choice of a political personality.

Wisecarver said she decided to write to Bork because "he's kind of quiet." She said she supports his nomination and does not understand what all the fuss is about.

"If he's all right with the president, he's all right with me," she said.

The Pennsylvania teenager said she sent the letter to Harvard on the advice of a teacher. "I went asking around teachers what [Bork's] address was, and one [teacher] said he had been a professor at Harvard," Wisecarver said. Justice Bork was actually a law professor at Yale University before beingappointed to the U.S. Circuit Court in Washington.

Wisecarver said she found the address forHarvard University in a book at a local library.

In what she thought was a letter to theconservative Supreme Court justice nominee,Wisecarver said, "I am very anxious to hear fromyou."

Bork, whose crew cut and casual dress bear noresemblance to the Circuit Court judge's suits andscraggly beard, said he was surprised when theletter arrived at his room because he had neverbeen to Laceyville and had no idea who Wisecarverwas.

"I had joked with my father about getting mail[meant for Judge Bork], but we agreed that it washighly improbable," said the Lowell Houseresident. He said he had thought about thepossibility of receiving letters intended for "theother guy" 10 years ago, during Nixon'spresidency, but had forgotten about theconservative politician until this summer.

The ninth grader said she is anxious for areply to her letter but would understand if shedid not get one. "They're busy and all," she said.

Harvard's Bork, whose political beliefs areliberal, said he plans to write back to Wisecarverand set her straight about his namesake. "I'llwrite back saying I don't think Bork should be onthe court," Bork said.

"My political views differ substantially fromthe other guy's," Bork said, adding he hoped hisresponse to the letter would have some effect onthe electoral vote in Pennsylvania.

Bork said he thinks the letter will make a goodsouvenir but does not plan to frame it. "I'll keepit filed deep in a desk drawer," he said