Observers of the Wilson presidency say they are not surprised that Sheerr wielded the power.

Wilson is cautious beyond measure, as guarded with the press as she is with all but her closest friends. She answers pointed questions with a mixture of stock phrases and abstractions. Wilson recently described her 10-year-long presidency at a full Faculty meeting as "a multidimensional inclined plane."

"[Wilson's] idea of getting along is to be quiet and right," says one source close to the Radcliffe adminis- tration.

When asked, Sheerr pauses, considers and thencarefully replies that she and Wilson are friends.Their bond is "often warm and intense," she goeson to say.

Sheerr jokes that in the past months the twohad become "hard-wired," often speaking to oneanother more frequently than to their ownfamilies.

But though Sheerr says they work well together,Radcliffe observers say the pair's relationshiphas become increasingly strained over the past twoyears. At times, sources say, they were barelyspeaking.

Observers say that Sheerr adopted a take-chargeattitude at Radcliffe--and the president didlittle to stop her. The source close to theRadcliffe administration recalls that Sheerr wouldreview Wilson's publicly distributed schedule toensure that the president was keeping busy.

"If [Wilson] had a doctor's appointment or hadto get her hair cut, she would make something upso Mrs. Sheerr wouldn't question her commitment toRadcliffe," the source says.

According to Wilson, the two would play"devil's advocate" to one another. Today she callsSheerr a "devoted volunteer leader."

Yet over the years, observers say, Wilson beganto chafe under Sheerr's intense direction. In thespring of 1997, Wilson gave a speech in which sheimplied that Radcliffe might work with Harvard butonly on Radcliffe's terms. She did not consultSheerr before giving the speech, which earned hera standing ovation from the largely alumnaeaudience. The chairman was infuriated.

"I think that was the beginning of the end,"the source says.

Sources close to both Harvard and Radcliffe sayWilson and Sheerr's falling out became publicknowledge in the fall of 1997. Harvard negotiatorshad realized that Sheerr was in charge.

Scaling it Down

A Harvard official says the University soonbecame impatient with the slow pace of talks.Rudenstine insisted Harvard would take a hands-offrole-allowing Radcliffe to finish a "strategicplanning process" on its own before moving on tomore in-depth, joint talks.

Finally in March, about eight months after thefirst informal talks began, Sheerr's team produceda discussion paper for consideration.

Miller says he had counseled Sheerr, who isalso a good friend, to make just such a concretestep.