Radcliffe College. Office of the Dean.

The Office of Women's Education was established with half-time staff under the aegis of the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid in 1972 by President Horner to ensure equal opportunities for women on campus. It offered an advisory and advocacy service for women in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. It became an independent office under Director Judith. Walzer in 1974. The activities of the office included career and concentration meetings, advice to women's organizations (Radcliffe Union of Students, Radcliffe-Harvard Women's Center, Association of Black Radcliffe Women), the organization of class events (Fresmen Core Program, Junior Parent's Day, Tree-trimming etc.) and the publication of A Woman's Guide to Harvard and Cliffe Notes , a monthly newsletter. It administered grants to graduate women, prizes and fellowships and an internship program. It organized a luncheon series at the Bunting Institute where graduate women could meet informally with staff, Bunting Fellows and faculty. Another purpose was to study the undergraduate experience. Among its research studies were: a study of older women students, a study of prizes and fellowships and a study of athletic opportunity at Harvard.

From the guide to the Records of the Office of the Dean, 1955-1978, (Radcliffe College Archives, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute)

The Radcliffe Forum was established in August, 1977 with Aliot Simone Reagor, as its first Director. It incorporated the activities of the Office of Women's Education which was discontinued in July, 1977. Its responsibilities included programs linking the college with alumnae and other women in the Cambridge/Boston community, the organization of class events for undergraduates, informal gatherings of women graduates (later the Women Students' Coalition) and the administration of college prizes and grants. It ran a number of programs: Career Exploration meetings, the Noon Colloquia Series, Gilman Series (with the Schlesinger Library), Fae Golden Kass lectureship, 1979-, an Externship program for undergraduates, the Radcliffe Summer Internship Program, and the Open Forum (later Friday at the Forum). A Ford Motor Company Internship and Science internships were also sponsored. Publications of the office were: The Guide for Women at Harvard/Radcliffe and a newsletter From the Forum . The Forum helped to plan conferences: Perspectives in the Patterns of an Era, 1978, Women at Harvard, 1978, and Women and Science, 1979. The Forum was discontinued in 1980 on fiscal grounds and the duties of the office devolved upon the Associate Dean's Office which placed greater emphasis on the needs of undergraduates rather than on wide participation in the community of women in Boston and Cambridge.

From the guide to the Records of the Office of the Dean, 1964-1981, (Radcliffe College Archives, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute)

Radcliffe’s Office of the Dean, established in 1894, was responsible for undergraduate and graduate academic and extra-curricular life. In 1934 the office was divided into the Office of the Graduate Dean and Dean of the College. A new position, that of Dean of Instruction, was created in 1946 to supervise academic affairs; the Dean of the College retained responsibility for student counselling, housing and extra-curricular affairs. As a result of reorganization in 1950, the Dean of Residence assumed responsibiliity for student housing and affairs, and the office of Dean of the College was in abeyance until 1963. With the creation of the House system in 1966, Deans of South, East and North Houses were appointed. They were replaced by Senior Tutors in 1970. With the Harvard/Radcliffe merger in 1971, undergraduate houses were administered by the Dean of Harvard College. The office of the Dean of Instruction ceased to exist in 1963 and the Office of the Dean of the College was reinstated at that time and continued until the merger. A Dean of Students was appointed in 1971 to administer fellowships and awards, and serve as liaison with the Harvard Dean of Freshman.

From the guide to the Records of the Office of the Dean, 1894-1965, (Radcliffe College Archives, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute)

Radcliffe's Office of the Dean, established in 1894, was responsible for undergraduate and graduate academic and extra-curricular life. In 1934 the office was divided into the Office of the Graduate Dean and Dean of the College. A new position, that of Dean of Instruction, was created in 1946 to supervise academic affairs; the Dean of the College retained responsibility for student counselling, housing and extra-curricular affairs. As a result of reorganization in 1950, the Dean of Residence assumed responsibiliity for student housing and affairs, and the office of Dean of the College was in abeyance until 1963. With the creation of the House system in 1966, Deans of South, East and North Houses were appointed. They were replaced by Senior Tutors in 1970. With the Harvard/Radcliffe merger in 1971, undergraduate houses were administered by the Dean of Harvard College. The office of the Dean of Instruction ceased to exist in 1963 and the Office of the Dean of the College was reinstated at that time and continued until the merger. A Dean of Students was appointed in 1971 to administer fellowships and awards, and serve as liaison with the Harvard Dean of Freshmen.

From the description of Records of the Office of the Dean, 1951-1979 (inclusive). (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 542727335

The Office of the Dean was created in 1894, after the incorporation of Radciffe College, with overall responsibility for graduates' and undergraduates' academic and extra-curricular life. In 1934 the Radcliffe Graduate School became administratively separate, and the Dean's office was divided into the Office of the Graduate Dean and the Dean of the College. In 1946 the office was again divided. The Dean of Instruction took over responsibility for academic affairs while the Dean of the College retained responsibility for advising, for residence and student extra-curricular affairs. A reorganization in 1950 led to further expansion: the Dean of Instruction retained control over academic affairs, the Dean of Residence (first appointed in 1949) was in charge of housing and student affairs, and the Dean of College Relations in charge of liaison with alumnae, fundraising, and special projects. The title and office of the Dean of the College was in abeyance from 1950-63. 1961-1970, with the creation of the House system, the corpus of Deans was increased by the appointment of the Deans of South, East and North House. They were replaced in 1970 by Senior Tutors.

In 1963, the title and office of the Dean of Instruction was dropped and that of the Dean of the College revived. The merger of the Harvard Radcliffe Administrative Boards in 1971, led to the demise of the position of Dean of the College. Undergraduate houses came under the aegis of the Dean of Harvard College. A part-time position of Dean of Students, 1971-73 was created to liaise between the Dean of Freshmen and the Radcliffe freshmen who were not as yet supervised by his office, and to administer prizes, fellowships and Phi Beta Kappa awards.

Changes of title frequently but not always reflected a change of personnel:

• 1894 - 1909 : Agnes Irwin
• 1909 - 13 : Mary Coes
• 1913 - 14 : Caroline L. Humphrey (Acting)
• 1914 - 20 : Bertha May Boody
• 1920 - 21 : Christina (Hopkinson) Baker (Acting)
• 1921 - 22 : Marion E. Park
• 1922 - 23 : Christina (Hopkinson) Baker (Acting)
• 1923 - 34 : Bernice (Brown) Cronkhite

• 1934 - 39 : Frances (Ruml) Jordan
• 1939 - 40 : Mildred Percival Sherman (Acting)
• 1940 - 42 : Katherine Elizabeth McBride
• 1943 - 50 : Mildred Percival Sherman
• 1963 - 71 : Kathleen (Overmyer) Elliot

• 1934 - 59 : Bernice (Brown) Cronkhite
• 1959 - 62 : Wilma Kerby-Miller

• 1946 - 59 : Wilma A. Kerby-Miller
• 1959 - 63 : Kathleen (Overmyer) Elliott

• 1961 - 70 : Catherine Doreen Williston

• 1961 - 70 : Kathleen Overmyer Elliott

• 1961 - 70 : Barbara Miller Solomon

• 1971 - 73 : Kathleen Overmyer Elliott

From the guide to the Records of the Office of the Dean, 1851-1979, (Radcliffe College Archives, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute)