Certainly in ’99, and to a degree in the ’70s. I think it was a natural evolution. Radcliffe was the only college that never had a faculty, and its original charge was to provide for the education of women and this was accomplished through an alliance with Harvard College. And that combination continued from the ’40s and changed the structure of Radcliffe somewhat because of the war and not having enough instructors. In the ’60s Radcliffe and Harvard looked at their situation and Radcliffe decided that it would be easier to turn over administration of women to Harvard in toto, instead of housing women separately as they had in the past.

In ’99 I thought it was a natural evolution for the school. At that point Radcliffe had achieved its goal to provide for the higher education of women admitted to Radcliffe by Harvard College. With the development of the Institute, they are taking the next step in promoting higher education of women by giving them in essence the chance of a sabbatical and maintaining as part of its mission the promotion of women, gender and society.

Did you ever expect Harvard and Radcliffe to merge?

I don’t think we expected it, but in the ’60s, seeing schools like Pembroke and the Sargent School of Education at Tufts disappear, we perhaps should have. Many of these schools either merged with their affiliates or disappeared. It was a scene of us not really looking down the road, then of not being totally bent out of shape about it when it happened. It was the natural evolution of time and of what Radcliffe was hoping to achieve.

What do you think of what Radcliffe has become—an institute for advanced study?

I think I have come to know Dean Faust, and I think she is a phenomenal person. I think the Institute is very fortunate to have her at the helm. She is very sensitive to women’s issues and some of the problems women face within the University, especially trying to give a little help to the attempt to increase the number of women faculty. She has even addressed women undergraduates although they are not part of her concern.

Do you think Radcliffe’s identity has changed? How?

They’re trying very hard to continue the Radcliffe image. Again, with their decision to include as a part of the mission of the Institute the commitment to women, gender and society—without that I think the Radcliffe image could have totally disappeared and the Institute would have been just another think tank. I think Drew and her advisors are trying very hard to take the Radcliffe name and purpose into the next chapter.

What do you think is in Radcliffe’s future?

Well, time will tell...it has to get itself fiscally able to continue. That possibly forced Radcliffe into the merger of ’99. Radcliffe College was not able to raise funds to allow it to continue. Many are working very hard to give Radcliffe a stable foundation.

jeannette beatty asbed ’53