BOSTON -- Wednesday's edition of the Harvard Crimson contained a controversial ad challenging the Holocaust, sparking anger and calls for an apology at Harvard.

The Crimson said it received more than 20 separate e-mails, as well as a joint letter signed by more than 30 undergraduates, including members of the paper's own staff, denouncing the ad.

The advertisement was submitted by Bradley Smith, founder of the Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust. Text within the ad asked readers to "provide, with proof, the name of one person killed in a gas chamber at Auschwitz."

The ad was pulled, and the paper's president, Maxwell L. Child, said in a statement that it would not run again.

Child also said that the ad's publication was the result of "miscommunication and failed oversight." It was decided earlier in the summer that the paper would not run the ad, but that the decision "fell through the cracks," said Child.

Smith said that he does not deny the Holocaust, but that he feels it is greatly misrepresented.

"The Holocaust has been turned into a newspeak term," said Smith, when reached by phone in his Baja, Mexico, office.

He cited "the constant reduction in the estimated death total at Auschwitz from 2 million to 1 million to 700,000 and so on," as an example of what he claims is an over exaggeration.

As to the outrage on the Harvard campus over the ad, Smith replied, "I made no statement of fact in the ad. [Harvard is] inferring all statements of fact. Any academic at Harvard could tell me I'm wrong, but they haven't."

Smith said he has a history of printing ads in college newspapers around the country. Last spring, ads were placed in 17 campus newspapers, he said. Some of the colleges Smith listed included Iowa State, University of New Mexico, University of Memphis and Auburn.

"The point is to address students and faculty who are responsible for protecting the story and knowledge of the Holocaust directly. I feel like I'm going to the heart of the beast," said Smith.

Child said, in his letter of apology, that even though the ad ended up running accidentally, the Crimson does not endorse any of the views CODH put forth.

Smith said that he paid $500 for a 15-column inch ad that would run for five days.

Harvard's Jewish community, upon hearing news of the ad, immediately requested a published apology, said Harvard Hillel President Rebecca Gillett. She said she was glad to see the paper take responsibility for its actions, referring to Child's letter.

Requests for further comment from Harvard Crimson staff were not returned.