Harvard Believed To Be Haunt of Vice and Fast Set in 1880 Student Report--"Standards Not Set by Group of Morons"

"Harvard is believed to be a kind of entrance to Hades," states a report entitled "Tone and Tendencies of Harvard College as Seen by Students from other college "that was discovered molding in the depths of the College Library yesterday. The report was drawn up by some hundred students who came to Harvard with illusions from other colleges about 1880.

"It is commonly supposed that Harvard does but little earnest work, has no high standard of morality and is the seat of aristocratic extravagance," the survey goes on. "It is the purpose of the committee to determine whether or not this point of view is justified. We find that this place is the haunt of vice and the fast set, however, they, have been so unobtrusive that one would hardly know that they existed until a short time ago. It is certain that the fast set has the virtue of being so exclusive as to offer few temptations to the unwary."

The committee goes on to report that "the students of Harvard form a small world in themselves, and among them may be both high and low standards of morality. Although the dangerous influences at Harvard are many, less crime is committed here per capita, than in other communities of similar size. This indicates that a comparatively small number of men in Harvard join the criminal class. On the whole, we may say that the moral tone of Harvard is worldly.

"It has been said that these students are dudes, toughs, and gladiators. This situation may exist in the Cantabrigian institution, but the number does not dictate student sentiment. The moral corruption and extravagance rests almost solely in a limited class. It is in this group only that little study, fast life and immoral actions persist."

In coming to its conclusion, the committee found that, "as to the general spirit of earnestness in work, there seems to be little doubt. The tendency toward liberal thought is a thing no longer to be apprehended by the parents of students attending Harvard.