- Paperback: 294 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (31 Oct 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0312322720
- ISBN-13: 978-0312322724
- Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 1.5 x 0.2 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,213,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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9 reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A Vengeful Harvard College Eats Its Own
6 Jan 2006
Format:Hardcover
William Wright has revealed an astonishing and gruesomely fascinating episode in American history in this investigation of a roundup of students at Harvard College who were homosexual or indulging in homosexuality. Following the suicide of a student who had been left by his Boston cafe-owning lover, a secret court was established whose major governing influence was the college president, the beloved A. Lawrence Lowell, better known for his part in sending Sacco and Vanzetti to the electric chair, changing the acceptance procedure to ensure that the number of Jews admitted to the college was limited, and attempting to prevent black students from living in dormitories. This secret court "requested" the appearance of anybody from the Boston/Cambridge area who it felt had influenced its precious charges in such a loathsome and immoral way, and all such "requests" to appear were respected, even though the persons subpoenaed by this kangaroo court were in danger of having their reputations destroyed. But the book primarily investigates the students involved, the facts of the investigation and the future lives of the accused, one of whom committed suicide immediately after questioning and another after 10 years, his life having been, for all intents and purposes, ruined by the influence of his expulsion from Harvard. Some of the expelled recovered to one degree or another from the experience to eke out decent lives. One became a very influential and politically connected jurist. The story is heartbreaking and the cruelty and vindictiveness of the court staggering. Wright takes no prisoners in delineating the facts. Bizarrely, however, after observing that Lowell left his fortune to a Harvard-related philanthropic organization, Wright notes that it is his mistakes that are remembered, "perhaps unjustly". Such a generous judgment is hard to explain. This book is vividly illuminating of the overweening arrogance of WGU (World's Greatest University), the hysteria surrounding homosexuality in the U.S. post-WWI, the potential for a hateful cruelty among conservative Brahmin educators, and human resiliency and human tragedy in the face of a vengeful witch-hunting elite.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Harvard's Secret Court : The Savage 1920 Purge of Campus Homosexuals
18 Mar 2006
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
WOW, to think that the powers that be at Harvard in the 20's and future leaders of the US can affect the lives of individuals is something akin to todays government......don't cross me! Very well written and a real eye opener. You'll enjoy this book start to finish.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Dramatic story, supurbly told
14 Nov 2005
Format:Hardcover
I really enjoyed this. Like reading a mystery but it is all true. I got really involved with the students and cared about them. I hated to put it down. Almost read it in one sitting. Moves really fast and the ending is a real shocker.
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