Word: arco
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1970-1979
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...motivation for the naming of the ARCO Forum appears to be founded on the same type of concern that prompted Susan Ford to promote Subaru. This in itself is distressing. It would be irresponsible for Harvard to follow a policy of endorsing consumer products for cash. Even if the University were to deny that the name of the Forum constitutes an endorsement, the public would still assume Harvard would not associate its name with an institution of which it did not approve. Moreover, it is well known that a prime objective of advertising is simply to publicize the product...
Associate Dean Jackson said ARCO's motive for funding the Forum was its "excitement about the programmatic possibilities." He would not speculate on other possible motives. It is, of course, possible that ARCO has experienced a sudden access of patriotism since the years 1962 to 1968, when the company paid no federal income taxes on a book income of $410 million. There is a very simple test of this thesis. If ARCO is genuinely interested in the value of the program, not the benefits of advertising, it will instantly agree to change the name rather than jeopardize the program...
Otherwise, the ARCO connection may well cast doubt on the Forum's integrity. The Forum may lose potential speakers who object to the political implications of the platform's name. Jackson doesn't believe this has happened and has no reason to think it will, but he conceded it is "conceivable." It is true that some liberals and labor leaders have spoken at the Forum already; perhaps it is too early to judge this possibility. In any event, guests of the School should not be put in the positions of having to speak under a name that may be anathema...
Another problem is that Forum planners may exercise self-censorship when selecting topics. Jackson stated emphatically that ARCO's possible reaction to a particular event would never be a consideration. But self-censorship need not be conscious. For example, the subjects of oil industry corruption or "The Political Clout of Atlantic Richfield" might prove too embarrassing even to be considered. Again, business critics such as Cesar Chavez and former Iowa Senator Dick Clark have spoken at the Forum, and the School has also invited a couple of prominent socialists. However, the crucial point remains that there has been a conspicuous...
Already there is evidence that the Kennedy School deserves such a reputation. The invitation of Chairman Anderson to be one of the Forum's first speakers raises the question of the influence of ARCO's donation. His topic was "OPEC and U.S. Energy Policy." Participants in the sympathetic panel discussion that followed were all business professors...