Class of '73

Dartmouth's freshman class this fall is not only of record size - 854 men - but it is the most decidedly different class to matriculate here because of the inclusion of 90 black students, the result of the special effort put into recruiting boys with underprivileged backgrounds.

In size, the Class of 1973 has the edge over the Class of 1963, which previously held the record with 842 entering men. Third place is held by the Class of 1971 with 827. The Admissions Office wasn't aiming at such a record number, but with the widespread practice of multiple applications, not to mention questions of financial aid, there is no precise science for ending up with an exact total of matriculants. Financial aid to undergraduates amounted to $2 million last year and will exceed $2,225 million for 1969-70.

The striking increase in black freshmen is indicated by comparing the 90 this fall with the 29, 17 and 12 in the three preceding freshman classes. The College's stepped-up recruiting program was in response to the recommendation made to the Trustees by the Committee on Equal Opportunity, which filed the so-called McLane Report, named for the committee chairman, John R. Mc-Lane Jr. '38 of Manchester, N. H.

Members of the Dartmouth Afro-American Society had a large part in spreading information about the College among black students in high school. They traveled all across the country, and a telephone network was set up so candidates and their parents could call the Afro-American Society or College officers handling admissions and financial aid.