HSA 65th Anniversary Book

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JUNE 1, 1973 –
JANUARY 31, 1974
HSA endures its biggest loss to date
FEBRUARY 1, 1974 –
JANUARY 31, 1975
Outside benefactors
provide financial relief
In order to achieve a smoother managerial transition and avoid the logistical headaches associated with the
rapid departure of managers at the end of their terms in May, the Board of Directors voted in the spring of
1973 to shift the fiscal year four months. After a short, eight-month FY74, FY75 heralded the inception of
the current fiscal year, running from February 1 until January 31 of the following year.
In four of the previous five years, no profit had been realized. In the previous two years, around $120,000
were lost. HSAers openly questioned whether the enterprise should go on, and the Board of Directors
seriously considered dissolving the corporation. Into these dire straits of doubt strode the university, bringer
of light and loans.
PRESIDENT
Paul
Frohardt
OFFICES
4 Holyoke St.
2 Trowbridge St.
8 Holyoke St.
Agency thrills and chills: Boston Office Flowers burst into the ranks of the less colorful and fragrant agencies,
offering a complete floral service to the Boston and Cambridge business and professional community.
Purchased from a Harvard Business School student for $2,000, the agency filled many a customer’s day with
the heady aroma of florid blossoms. The price of the Harvard Bartending Course crept up to $15, although
the 75–90 people attending each class didn’t seem to mind (or remember). Following the success of the Wine
Appreciation Course, Instructional Services brought HSA’s two courses of educational intoxication under
the management of a separate agency. Travel once again sent planeloads of elated holiday revelers home on
its resurrected Christmas charter flights. Students fervently searching for typewriters, TVs, and calculators
rejoiced as the Leasing agency appeared on the scene, dealing the goods on a term-time rental basis.
HSA’s second fundraising campaign raised $40,000, allowing the purchase of some equipment and partially
mitigating operating costs. However, HSA remained saddled with 2 Trowbridge St.’s annual rent of $23,000,
even as the office sat empty for most of the fiscal year. That sunk cost, moving and renovation expenses for
8 Holyoke St., and assorted agency difficulties resulted in a continued deluge of red ink. The very viability
of HSA came into question as the corporation faced a year-end deficit of $68,017, exceeding the record loss
from the previous year.
The cover of Let’s Go: Europe blushed red, page count remained constant, and another voracious horde of
students devoured Boston for the second edition of Cheap Eats. Perhaps to atone for its typesetting fiasco,
the Crimson ran a glowing review that declared Let’s Go superior to Frommer’s.
PRESIDENT
Michael
Cronin
OFFICES
4 Holyoke St.
2 Trowbridge St.
8 Holyoke St.
As early as February, the Board of Directors had broached the idea of approaching the university for fiscal
relief. On July 31, General Manager Brad Howe formally asked the university for a loan. On August 22,
HSA received formal notice from Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Henry Rosovsky, PhD ’59, of a
two-year, $60,000 subsidy to be granted in exchange for a review of HSA’s annual budget and a universityselected
Board appointment.
By this time, HSA had also realized that the difficulties of successfully operating the Laundry Plant far
outweighed the minimal contribution to corporate overhead it provided. Harvard Vice President for
Administration Stephen Hall, MDiv ’88, a former Board member whose support and encouragement
initially made the Laundry Plant a reality, generously agreed to purchase the entire operation back from
HSA for the original amount of $104,000, $40,000 more than its depreciated value. With the Laundry
Plant washed up, HSA once again reduced its Linen operations to distribution and delivery.
At the end of the summer, HSA’s annual $23,000 obligation for its 2 Trowbridge St. location dropped to
$5,000 when Upper Story Furniture Co., the tenant occupying the bottom two floors of the building, finally
decided to live up to its name and agreed to lease HSA’s office as warehouse space. This, coupled with the
university’s assistance, allowed HSA to have a positive net income of nearly $10,000 for the year.
President Michael Cronin instituted another important reform when he began requiring weekly manager
meetings, beginning to exercise the greater oversight that came with physical and operational consolidation.
Custodial swept up and devoured the Moving agency, the Harvard Bartending Course had enrollments
in excess of 120 aspiring drinkers and drink-makers, and most of the management team spent a summer
weekend at Howe’s house in Maine.
“Let’s Go: The Student Guide to Europe” transformed
into “Let’s Go: The Budget Guide to Europe” as those
who had worshipped the early guides entered middle
age and Let’s Go increasingly enticed the entire budgetconscious
universe.
LET’S GO TITLES
• Europe
AGENCIES
• Linen/Laundry Plant
• Publishing
• Catering
• Travel
OTHER TITLES
• Cheap Eats: Inexpensive
Dining in Greater Boston
• Custodial
• Refrigerator Rental
• Europe by Car
• Rings
• Union News Stand
• Moving
• Instructional Services
• Boston Office Flowers
• Leasing
LET’S GO TITLES
• Europe
AGENCIES
• Linen/Laundry Plant
• Publishing
• Catering
As patriotic fervor slowly bubbled and frothed within
the hearts of America in anticipation of the approaching
bicentennial, HSA secured its own place in the
incipient flag-waving hysteria by acquiring the rights
to produce Boston: The Official Bicentennial Guidebook.
Penned over the summer at 2 Trowbridge St., this 320-
page doctrine for the free and independent contributed mightily to the spirit of America and the coffers of
HSA, despite the curious fact that the words “Harvard Student Agencies” appeared nowhere in the book.
OTHER TITLES
• Boston: The Official
Bicentennial Guidebook
• Travel
• Custodial
• Refrigerator Rental
• Rings
• Union News Stand
• Instructional Services
• Boston Office Flowers
• Leasing
32 HSA 65th Anniversary History Book 33