To the Editor:
Although Christopher Houpt '98 raises some valid points in his column "How Not to Get Into College" (April 25, 1995), we would like to point out that he unfortunately uses inaccurate information to validate some of his arguments. Concerning the Lon Grammer forgery case at Yale, Houpt states that Grammer "performed well at Yale, earning a B average and becoming quite popular among students" and that "Grammer probably will not graduate this June, despite his 3.0 GPA".
In reality, according to both the Yale Daily News and members of the Yale Political Science Department, Grammer "barely squeaked by with a 'C' average, complete with several D's and F's, at the University." At the time of his expulsion, he was also facing charges before the Yale Executive Committee of plagiarizing a take-home final exam. According to Donald Green, the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Yale Political Science Department, Grammer did not have enough course credits to graduate with his class this spring.
Finally, although as a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and the rugby team Grammer had a normal circle of friends, he was not the proverbial "Big Man On Campus" or even a noted campus figure as Houpt seems to imply. Considering these facts, Houpt's statement "that someone who could only pull a "C" average at a community college could manage a "B" at Yale is indeed cause for rethinking the rigor of academic life at Yale," as well as his overall portrayal of Grammer's performance there, both ring rather hollow.
