Martin C. Tangora said:
>If we can ask Samuelson, why would we prefer
>to go to the archives and see what might be there about him,
>or read the histories and see if they help?


HU archives has documents, records, dated and signed at the time, 
primary sources. Samuelson, now 92, may well remember quite clearly 
who was there and who said what on a day in 1941, if there was a 
defense of his dissertation, or who was there and said what on the 
day he took his generals, probably in the spring of 1937; or he may 
not. He too is a primary source, of course. Take your choice: an old 
piece of paper, or maybe excellent but nevertheless human memory.
You can just call the archives:  617-495-2461. Here's their website: 
http://hul.harvard.edu/huarc/ . Or you can try to reach Prof. 
Samuelson. Good luck.

John Womack