Radcliffe College. Office of the Dean

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.

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