As a male graduate of the Class of 1964, I read with dismay the Bulletin’s sycophantic “review” of Judith Richards Hope’s revisionist and self-indulgent portrayal of the women in our class evidently described in her book, “Pinstripes & Pearls” (which in fairness I confess I have not read).
I was in Judith Richards’ section, as were approximately 120 men, and, if I recall correctly, several women, including Diana Lorenz (married to another section mate, Jim Lorenz) and Ann Cronkhite (subsequently married to another Harvard Law graduate, Stanford Goldblatt). Mrs. Richards Hope’s picture of the treatment of women, at least as described in the Bulletin article, is exaggerated, distorted and wrong. All of us, male and female alike, considered ourselves privileged to be at HLS and equally privileged to associate with such bright, engaging and sometimes even attractive peers. There was no distinction made between men and women in the classroom, study groups or otherwise. Nor was there any derogation or condescension directed particularly at women. Rather, we all felt the brunt of professional sarcasm, disdain and put-downs.
The article on “Pinstripes & Pearls” seems to me to be yet another sad example of Harvard’s descent into glib political correctness and historical revisionism.