Such restrictions did not apply to male students, but then meetings with 20-something men were less likely to inspire "misinterpretations" of lechery. His stated concern was not that improprieties would occur, but rather that they'd be erroneously inferred by onlooking busybodies. When the other, younger economist at the table — without whose presence, presumably, my own participation in this conversation would have been deemed unacceptable — protested that such rules put his female advisees at a disadvantage, the older professor demurred. The restrictions were intended to protect his female students, too, lest office gossips get the wrong idea about the, ahem, source of their success.