Presidential Commission On Aids

Both the chairman and vice chairman of the presidential AIDS commission--reportedly unhappy about divisiveness among its members--resigned abruptly Wednesday, leaving the already embattled panel in turmoil. Dr. W. Eugene Mayberry, the outgoing chairman, who is chief executive officer of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

The executive director of the President's advisory commission on AIDS was fired after panel members complained to the chairman, Dr. W. Eugene Mayberry, that a lack of leadership undermined the commission's first meeting here last week. Mayberry on Friday asked for the resignation of Linda B. Sheaffer, several weeks ago named chief staff member of the commission. She will return to her job as acting director of the federal Office of Organ Transplantation.

President Reagan's national commission on AIDS was greeted at its first meeting Wednesday by charges of gay activists, minority leaders and health care professionals that its members have little or no expertise and in some cases hold militant right-wing views.

A crowd of about 100 gay activists marched outside St. Patrick's Cathedral Sunday, chanting "Shame, shame!" to protest the naming of Cardinal John J. O'Connor to a presidential advisory commission on AIDS. Earlier, at Sunday morning Mass, 14 demonstrators entered the cathedral and stood in the front pews with their backs to the altar to protest O'Connor's appointment. O'Connor, who has been visiting parishes in other cities during the summer, was not at the Mass.

President Reagan on Thursday appointed a 13-member commission to recommend a national strategy in fighting the AIDS epidemic and vowed that "we'll not rest till we've sent AIDS the way of smallpox and polio."