"At Bennington in the late '30s, she...became aware that at some institutions at that time science for women was not respected or taken seriously," he said.

After the death of her husband in 1955, Bunting-Smith embarked on a career in college administration in order to be able to support her family, her son said.

Bunting-Smith used her scientific background to implement her ideas, Bunting said.

"[Bunting-Smith] was a scientist and pointed out to people in an effective way that practices at the University did not make rational sense, such as getting a Radcliffe degree even though [women] were getting the same education as men at Harvard," Bunting said.

Bunting-Smith was a visionary who saw Harvard as a platform to implement her ideas, her son said.

"[Bunting-Smith's] ideas were visionary and were on target for what was coming," Bunting said. "The role of women was about to change in society and she was ahead of her time in helping to point the way. [She realized] that half of our population was not fully utilized."

Prior to coming to Harvard, Bunting-Smith taught and performed research at Bennington College, Goucher College, Yale and Wellesley and served as the dean of Douglass College. Bunting-Smith was also a member of the National Science Foundation and was the first woman to serve as a commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

Louise E. Donovan, Bunting-Smith's former executive assistant of 12 years, said the former Radcliffe president was an outdoors enthusiast.

"She had this great interest in life and all parts of it," Donovan said.

Many of Bunting-Smith's colleagues enjoyed working with her, Bok said.

"I thought of her as an older sister, an ideal older sister, a little wiser than you were, not criticizing you all the time, always available with good advice and help," he said.

Bunting-Smith is survived by eight children and step-children, four grandchildren and four children-in-law