Some of the most prominent figures of the publishing world will gather in Manhattan to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Radcliffe Publishing Course (RPC) this Wednesday.

RPC, a division of Radcliffe Educational programs, headquartered in Radcliffe Yard, is a six-week intensive summer publishing program considered by many to be the most prestigious in the nation.

Enrollment in RPC is competitive. The summer session in 1996 included 90 recent graduates from colleges and universities across the country.

Graduates of RPC, including Steve Fliorio, president and chief executive officer of Conde Nast Publications, will attend a gala party celebrating the anniversary, to be held at New York's Pierpont Morgan Library.

Fliorio also served on the faculty of RPC for several years."

"I've been impressed by the high caliber of the students year after year. They are passionate about publishing and, more importantly, have what it takes to succeed in the industry," Fliorio said.

"The course continues to be the premier training ground for publishing's future leaders," he said.

Since 1947, 3,500 men and women have completed RPC and pursued careers in book and magazine publishing. Approximately 90 percent of the graduates begin jobs in publishing each year.

"People in the industry have great respect for this Radcliffe program, and have come to rely on it for promising new employees," said Linda Hess, the director of the course since 1988 and a former executive editor at Doubleday Publishing, Inc.

Graduates of RPC include Lynn Nesbit of the literary agency Janklow & Nesbit; Morgan Entrekin, president and publisher of Grove/Atlantic, Inc.; and Bill Strachan, the director of Columbia University Press.

Victor Navasky, the publisher and editorial director of The Nation; David Granger, the editor-in-chief of Esquire; and Dominique Browning, the editor-in-chief of House and Garden, are also among the list of successful graduates.

Most recently, RPC alumna Christina Ferarri became the managing editor of the newly-launched publication Teen People.

"Graduates of the Radclife Publishing Course play important roles in virtually every major publishing company," Hess said.

Organizers say they expect many prominent RPC graduates to attend the gala celebrating 50 years of excellence.