In a day of fanfare, ceremony and panel discussions, new Radcliffe President Linda S. Wilson will officially be ushered into office later this month.

About 1000 special guests, including the heads of Princeton University, the University of Wisconsin and Wellesley College, will be on hand Feb. 23 to formally inaugurate Wilson, who took office this summer.

Institutional Focus

"It's a very special occasion in the life of a college," Wilson said yesterday. "There's more of an institutional focus in the celebration than any personal focus."

Wilson said that the theme of the event will be the changing concepts of institutional leadership, both in general and for Radcliffe. She said that while she is "still mulling it over in my mind", her inaugural address will try to "describe the place I think [Radcliffe] has in the larger context of higher education."

Important Mission

"I think we have a very important mission," Wilson said. "I want to describe that and explain that to our friends."

In addition to the formal inaugural ceremony in Memorial Church, there will be two panel discussions during the afternoon, titled "Changing Concepts of Leadership in Higher Education," and "Womens' Evolving Roles in International Affairs."

Although Wilson said that there will be no direct fundraising solicitation at the event, she said "we hope participation will be linked with support."

Representatives of several student group, including the Radcliffe Union of Students, have been invited to the event. Radclifee first marshal Jennifer Brumage '90 will be one of the seven official greeters.

Students without official invitations may watch the inaugural ceremony on closed circuit television, while the panel discussions will be open to the public, administrators said.

Planning for the event has been in the works since last May's announcement of Wilson's acceptance, according to Amey A. DeFriez '49, who chairs Radcliffe's Board of Trustees.

Wilson succeeds Matina S. Horner, who stepped down last year after leading Radcliffe for 17 years.