Rather Than Lose Year Jewish Seniors at Harvard U. Take Examinations on Yom Kippur

Facing a delay of a full year before they could obtain their degrees unless they take examinations in modern languages tomorrow, Yom Kippur, about a score of Jewish senior students at Harvard University will take the examinations. Dean Alfred C. Hanford has declined to change the dates so as to avoid the conflict.

Although Dean Hanford declined to make any statement, R. K. Lamb, secretary to the University for Public Information, gave the following explanation as to how the conflict arose : The dates for the exams were set last Spring and no objection was raised at that time and none was made until it was too late to change the dates. The students affected are required to take examinations in two out of seven authors, the examinations being given today, tomorrow and Friday. The election as to which authors they would be examined in was made last Spring. Mr. Lamb pointed out that the students could have elected to take examinations scheduled for today or Friday, but being unaware of the conflict, elected those coming on Yom Kippur.

Thus far, Mr. Lamb said, only one student has complained about the conflict. So far as the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was able to learn, most of the students will take the examinations rather than lose one year’s time. Mr. Lamb intimated that the Jewish students themselves were uninformed as to the date of Yom Kippur.