Fellows

One year ago Mrs. Lucius William Nieman died, leaving Harvard University most of the fortune her husband mined from the Milwaukee Journal. With her bequest Harvard was "to promote and elevate the standards of journalism." Three distant relatives shortly declared that the 75-year-old lady was mentally unsound when she drew her testament four days before she died. They brought her nurse to court to testify that some nights Mrs. Nieman "would drink half a bottle (of gin), some nights a full bottle. . . ." No one could guess why Mrs. Nieman wanted Harvard to have her money, reputedly $5,000,000, and even Harvard's President James Bryant Conant shied off a bit, firm in the conviction that Harvard wanted no journalism school.

Off to a singularly bad start, Mrs. Nieman's plan last week came through to a finish heartily acclaimed by educators and press. Having mulled over the Nieman worry with leading publishers and editors, President Conant announced the novel Nieman Fellowship plan which falls well within the broad provisions of Mrs. Nieman's gift, actually $1,000,000 after taxes had been paid. With the $40,000 income Harvard will set up 15 annual Nieman Fellowships to be awarded to working newspapermen on leave of absence for an academic year (or half year) of Harvard study in any field they choose.

Three members of the Harvard Board of Overseers will administer the fellowships: John Stewart Bryan, scholarly publisher of the Richmond News Leader, president of the College of William and Mary and former president of the American Newspaper Publishers Association, chairman; Editor Ellery Sedgwick of Atlantic Monthly; New York Herald Tribune's Walter Lippmann. They and a handful of Harvard professors will select from each of the nation's six great regions at least one man. Only prerequisites: three years' experience, a Godspeed from the boss, a thirst for knowledge. When they go back to their jobs they will presumably be better equipped to serve them and their communities, generally raise the tone of the working press.

The Herald Tribune informally canvassed staffmen on what each would study if he were awarded a Nieman Fellowship. The poll: Economics, 24; U. S. History, 2 ; English Composition, 3 ; English Literature, 1; Spanish, 1; Zoology, 1; Mathematics, 1; Business Management, 1; Ethics, 1.

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